Call It Fate
by EmoEccentrica
Summary: What if Makino never went to Eitoku? What if instead she met Rui, at a night club she worked at and then Tsukasa fell for her all over again? What if Rui didn't take it sitting down this time? READ FROM CHAPPIE 37 and ON FOR SEQUEL PLOTLINE
1. Call It A Coincidence

**Ok so I was this half asleep when I came up with this little plotlet. Surprisingly I liked the idea when I was awake so I hope you like it :D**

**Summary: What if Makino never went to Eitoku? What if she had never met the F4? What if instead she met Rui, at a night club she worked at and then Tsukasa fell for her all over again? What if Rui didn't take it sitting down this time?**

_Disclaimer: Insert funny comment about how I don't own Hana Yori Dango ._

**PS this was written with the cast from the j-drama in mind so.. Yea :)**

**PSS I can never tell so I put Rui had red hair.. Is it brown or red?**

* * *

It was a cold night outside the warmth of the night club Makino worked at. Makino had been working at the club ever since she was 18 and had stayed on for six more years. She looked out at the star filled sky as she sighed. This was her last year. The bar didn't let anyone above the age of 24 work as a bartender.

Despite the fact that she had detested the bar at first, Makino felt like now it was her home. She had come from an unremarkable family, graduating from a public school, with no ambitions. At the time she had just been looking for a job. However she had found so much more. After a time, the loud music wasn't so loud anymore and the people seemed friendlier. She reveled in the music night ,after night. Granted, it was a rich club- the exclusive playground of the rich and powerful, but still it was a lot of fun working there. Instead of wallowing in the fact that she would no longer be allowed to work there anymore, she thought of it as another door opened; it was a sign that she had to move one. And move on she would.

"Makino-san!"

She turned to saw her boss motioning to her expensive watch, and Makino nodded; her break was over. She got up, adjusting her black silk vest over her dress blouse. Then she walked into the club and fell into the familiar pattern of mixing drinks. That's when she heard it.

"Kyaaa!!!!!! It's F4! They're so hot!"

She paid their screams no mind- she didn't even know who F4 was; even if she did, she probably wouldn't care... All the guys in this club were playboys.

"Excuse me?"

Makino looked up from the glass she was wiping and saw a gorgeous guy with red hair; an air of mystery surrounded him and he carried an open book in his left hand.

"Hai?"

He smiled softly and then sat down on a stool.

"Can I have an Oolong Tea?"

That caught her off guard; almost no one ever asked for tea. It was always scotch, tequila, or some other form of liquor. Nevertheless Makino readied the tea and then while she waited she studied this newcomer. She had never seen him before. He had dark eyes but fiery hair and a pale complexion. Right at that moment he was intently reading the white book in his hands. Then she noticed something else. He was dressed in all white- save for his black tie. Then as though he sensed her gaze, he looked up at her, eyes shining with something resembling interest.

"Ah the tea!"

Makino hastily turned away to check on the tea, noting the steam from the pot; she could feel his gaze on her back, which made her blush uncontrollably. She poured the tea and then set it down onto the counter without meeting his gaze. Or at least she tried not to. His eyes were intense and they practically twinkled.

"What's your name?"

His voice was soft and smooth like velvet, but it was powerful enough so that she heard it over the din of the club.

"Makino Tsukushi.."

He smiled and sipped his tea looking up at her from under his eyelashes; the effect almost made her swoon.

"Oy Rui!"

The man slowly broke his gaze from hers and she looked up to see a man with curly hair, dressed in black from head to toe. He turned his gaze from the one called Rui and locked onto her; it was as though someone dumped a bucket full of ice-water into her veins. He strolled over and Makino felt an instinctive pull to look down. The aura coming off of this man bespoke of power and wealth.

"Rui, is this ugly bitch bothering you?"

That made Makino clench her fists. This man.. She didn't even know him and she already hated him. He was like every other guy in this club, arrogant and so self assured that he made fun of people he didn't even know.

"You have no right to call me that, sir."

The man with curly hair looked up, lip curling unpleasantly.

"Do you know who I am?"

He moved closer to the counter and slammed his hands down onto the polished marble.

"I'm Domyoji Tsukasa, head of the Domyoji group!"

Makino's eyes widened. She knew the Domyoji group was one of the biggest corporations worldwide. Damn she chose the worst people to pick fights with!

"Ah, you understand then. Now I'm in a good mood, so if you get on your knees to apologize maybe I won't close down this club."

Makino looked up, hate filling her every sense. Still she made her way around the counter and began to kneel down, her skirt riding up slightly as she did so. Then she hesitated when she reached the floor. She had never groveled at anyone's feet before- her pride had never let her do so.

"Makino, that's enough."

At this she looked up, recognizing the soft voice as Rui's. Domyoji however didn't look amused.

"What the hell Rui!? This bitch offended me!"

Rui in turn just stared at him with steel eyes. A few moments passed, but to Makino they seemed like hours. Finally Domyoji looked down at her and anger apparent in his voice ,laughed.

"Get up and take your apology with you. I don't have time to deal with an ugly bitch like you!"

Makino felt the anger grow in the pit of her stomach, and she slowly rose trying to surpress the urge to hit him. And she would've succeeded had it not been for the last comment he made.

"Rui you shouldn't drink that tea she made you. It'll probably give you food poisoning!"

He literally cackled and Makino felt something snap in her. She raised her arms and parted her feet. Then she began jumping slightly to prepare for her swing.

"You're a low life who's never had to work at anything before. Don't be so full of it!"

Her right arm swung forward and made a satisfying 'thump' when it connected with his cocky smile. He fell backwards to the polished tile of the floor and it didn't take more than a few moments to realize the mistake she had made. She had punched THE PRESIDENT of the biggest corporation worldwide. Panic rushed her senses but she kept a calm face on; she couldn't let this bastard know his words had gotten to her. He looked up at her, eyes telling her that he was confused. That figured- he had probably never been hit by a girl before in his life. Makino looked down at him, a rising sense of pride growing in her heart. There was nothing wrong with what she had done.. She had merely taught this rich bastard a lesson he needed to learn.

Rui looked down at his friend then sighed and extended a hand to him.

"Tsukasa, come here"

The boy looked up with something like wonder still apparent on his face, and grabbed his friends hand. Then Rui turned to look at her, the beginning of a smile on his beautiful face.

"Ja ne, Makino,"

With Domyoji in tow Rui walked away. Makino looked at the stool where he had sat and then sighed; she really had wanted to talk to him. She picked up the bills he left on the counter and was about to him put them into the cash register when a small white paper floated down. She caught it in midair and turned it over. In neat script, there was a name written. Hanazawa Rui. Following the name was a number and Makino couldn't help but smile as she remembered him. Then she noticed something else- he had left his book behind.

She chuckled- was this an accident of fate or did he leave it behind on purpose?

* * *

**WOot! Finished it! Hope you guys like it. It's a venture away from the original story but I still hope I got the characters right! Review?**


	2. Call It A Fight

**So I got a good response to this fic: 3 reviews a day will keep the writer okay. So yea seeing your alls review made me happy and I had to write the next chapter; I don't think imma draw this out too much, maybe just a short fic, ten chapters or so. But if I keep getting reviews it could be longer. :D **

**Okay so overall I'm 'eh' about this chapter, but only because I don't know if I'm moving things along too quickly or not. **

**Btw thanks go out to: Saranghae-Minni, Illuminating Darkness, and -chan for the awesome reviews. Oh and don't worry Saranghae-Minni, I love long reviews they seriously make me uber happy :D! Thanks also go out to elfanwonderful and nakini for the faves and alerts!**

"Oy Rui, why did you defend that.. That.. Commoner earlier?!"

Rui sat on the window ledge, forehead against the cool glass. Why, indeed did he stand up for Makino?

"Who knows.."

Rui stared out at the starless night, focusing on the warm brown of her eyes- they were eyes you could drown in. He heard Tsukasa pacing back and forth, but he didn't have anything else to say to him; he chuckled softly when he heard his curly haired friend sigh exasperatedly and then the thump of someone falling back onto the bed. Rui smiled as he fingered the small green paperback in his hands.

"Ne, Tsukasa.."

"What?"

Trying to surpress a sly smile, Rui turned to his best friend.

"I left my book at the club."

He had also left his number -however he didn't leave either thing by accident.

"I'll have Nishida pick it up."

Rui shook his head and then stood up to lean on the wall.

"I don't think Makino left it there- she probably put it away for me. Maybe I'll get her number from the club.."

Tsukasa sat up abruptly, something akin to anger in his eyes. He stood up and walked over to where Rui was leaning, and stared at him intently.

"Why do you know her name? You can't possibly be interested in that bitch can you?"

Rui's eyes narrowed a bit; he hated when Tsukasa called girls 'bitch'- he just wanted to smack him whenever he did.

"I asked for her name.. As for the other thing... Who knows?"

Tsukasa blanched a bit, fury raging through his eyes. How dare his friend go against his wishes?! Rui however just stared at him, his eyes radiating a coolness Tsukasa had never seen in them before.

* * *

Tsukushi lay on her bed, fingering the small slip of paper in her hand. Hanazawa Rui.. Should she call him or wait instead for him to come back to the club? She rolled over onto her back, sighing. But, if he had intended to go back to the club, why leave his number? Picking up her cell phone she couldn't help but smile at the memory of his twinkling eyes; they were eyes she could stare into forever.

Finding her resolve she picked up her cell phone and was about to dial in the number when it started ringing;not even looking at the number she answered the phone.

"Moshi moshi?"

There was a slight pause but then she heard his velvet voice.

"Ah, Makino sorry for calling so late I hope I didn't wake you up.. I was just wondering.. Did I leave my book at the club?"

Makino sat up, mouth agape. How did he get her number?

"Ma-ki-no?"

She came back to reality and gripped the phone a little bit tighter.

"Ah it's okay, I was still awake anyways. Yes you did Hanazawa-san.. Do you want me to leave it at the club for you or..."

Makino flushed at the alternative- meeting up to hand off the book. What was it about Hanazawa Rui that made her so flustered?!

"Meet up?"

His voice was almost coy.

"Yea.. Are you free tomorrow?"

There was a slight pause.

"Hold on a moment."

His tone spoke of the deepest annoyance. There was a clicking noise as it was set down on some hard surface (she assumed from the hard 'clack' sound on the other end) and then utter silence. Makino sighed and sat up cross legged, waiting for her red haired prince to come back on the line.

* * *

"Oy Rui! I forgot my cell phone here. Help me loo-"

Tsukasa looked at his friend who was sitting at his usual perch on the window sill, holding a phone to his ear. There was a kind of soft smile on his face. Tsukasa grinned- maybe his reclusive friend finally made up with Shizuka...

"Ma-ki-no?"

Or maybe not. Tsukasa felt the stupid grin slide of his face. Even after all his protests, his friend was still chasing after that beer serving wench. His hands clenched involuntarily and he was about to stalk forward and grab the phone from Rui's hand when he saw his friend chuckle under his breath. Then Tsukasa saw the expression on Rui's face. His eyes were glowing, a full blown smile on his face and even his aura seemed to light up the room. He hadn't seen this side of Rui since Shizuka got married without telling Rui.

"Meet up?"

Another chuckle but this time Tsukasa could feel his temper rising. Even if Rui was happy, that didn't mean he could stand by and watch as he fell for a common gold digger's trap; he loved his friend too much to let that happen. He walked over to Rui, who finally acknowledged his presence.

"Hold on a moment."

Tsukasa glared at his friend; what was with that annoyed tone? Here he was protecting his friend out of the sheer kindness of his soul and Rui had the audacity to get annoyed? Rui put the phone down onto the windowsill and glared at Tsukasa.

"What do you want Tsukasa?"

"You are only going to get hurt if you pursue that gold digger."

Tsukasa pushed his hands gruffly into his pockets, looking down at the floor. At this point niceness wasn't going to convince his friend that Makino was only going to use him; it didn't matter about the person, everyone was the same- as soon as they smelled money, they thought they had it made. In the long run, whether or not Rui loved Makino or not, all he was going to be to her was a personal bank- and a very wealthy one at that.

"She's not a gold digger Tsukasa; I don't want to hear you talk about her that way!"

Tsukasa looked up, lip curling; oh so now his best friend was telling him what to do. He looked up, about to give a reply, when he noticed something in his friend's eyes that he had never seen before. Usually Rui was the quiet , insightful one to the group with apathetic eyes and a mysterious demeanor about him. However right at that moment, those usually apathetic eyes were alight with a furious passion that made Tsukasa bite his tongue. Whoever this girl was to Rui, it was obvious that she was special; but that didn't mean he was going to relent easily. Rui was after all his friend and he would make it his personal mission to ensure that he didn't get hurt; and if he did that Makino girl would have a hell of a lot to answer for.

* * *

Rui felt as though every particle of his being was burning up; he had never been this angry except when it came to Shizuka. It was only with that thought that he managed to calm down a little bit. After all, he wasn't ready to get in a fight with his best friend over a girl he hardly knew. Though he was a bit disconcerted; how could ha have lost his cool over someone who... at the very least was only an acquaintance? Rui turned his back on his friend, struggling with himself. Why had he lost the cool demeanor that usually covered his every emotion, it had never happened before- not even when it came to Shizuka.

"Well I'll let myself out then."

Rui grunted a reply and then picked up the phone on the windowsill, feeling somewhat anxious.

"Makino?'

"Ah, I'm still here."

Rui let out a silent thanks to whatever God there was that Makino had stayed on the line waiting for him. Then again it shouldn't have come as a surprise to him. Commoner or no, she struck him as well mannered.

"What time do you want to meet tomorrow?"

"Hmm.. does one o' clock work for you?"

He smiled to himself, feeling a soft smile work its way over his face.

"Yes it does. Ebisu Garden Place?"

"That sounds goo-"

Rui was about to respond when he heard a loud yawn, at which he had to chuckle at. He had only known this girl for one night, but this girl was one of the cutest ones he had ever encountered, what with her cute blush.

"Ah sorry. I guess I'm tired today. So one o'clock at Ebisu Garden?"

Rui grunted softly in reply and with that insistent smile on his face hung up the phone.

**Okay so that was chapter two, honestly like I said I'm not in love with this chappie, but it's passable. Review? **


	3. Call It A Stupid Move

**Yay three back to back day reviews; this is my longest streak ever :D Ok so once more, the only reason I am updating so quickly is because I L-O-V-E the reviews I'm getting! Otherwise this story would've probably gone on the back burner. Thanks go out to -chan xD, Illuminating-Darkness and Saraghae- Minnie for the reviews. **

**Saranghae: I agree with you! When I was writing that part I was like 'SQUEE!' and yea I did make him somewhat devious, I was actually kinda scared that I got OOC with that but I'm glad you liked it! **

* * *

Tsukasa walked out onto the pavement surrounding his house, the slight wind ruffling his hair. He opened the door, with a spitefully mumbled "Tadaima." His mother didn't care where he went and when he came back- all that mattered was that he was there to fulfill appointments he didn't make. He walked halfway through the foyer when he heard the loud clacking of expensive heels on the tile floor.

"Okairi, Tsukasa."

He turned around to see his mother, AKA the hag, and stared at her then his expensive watch. It was past three in the morning! Why was she still up?

"What do you want hag?"

Her frown deepened.

"Why did you skip your marriage interview tonight? It was disgraceful, having to tell the head of the Shinji group that you were nowhere to be found!"

Tsukasa glared at the woman; her and her damn marriage interviews could go to hell. He was inheriting in two months and he would get married when someone worthy of him came along. The eldest from the Shinji group was two years his senior and mousy- definitely not his type. When -and if- he got married it would be to some strikingly beautiful model who was intelligent and knew how to cater to his every whim.

"I didn't feel like going; I'll get married when I want to. And it'll be for love, not for corporate strategies!"

He turned around again and was about to ascend the stairs when his mother let out an evil chuckle- that never meant anything good.

"Nani?"

"What do you say we make a wager?"

"Che, like I'd ever trust you enough to make a wager; I don't want any part in your tricks old lady."

Tsukasa began to stalk up the stairs, cursing his mother with every piece of Japanese, English and French he knew.

"I'll resign from my post as one of the chairs. Without me there, you'll have free reign; you know nobody else would oppose you."

Tsukasa stopped in his tracks. Free reign over the company.. That was enough to get him to listen.

"What's the bet?"

He turned around, almost at the top of the landing.

"If you find a girl with whom you find mutual love, I will relent; if you don't, you will wed the girl of my choice."

Tsukasa stiffened.

"The time limit?"

"You have until the day you become president of the company."

"Fine,"

He smirked to himself; it would be easy to find a girl who was in love with him. All he had to do was act as though he loved her- no challenge at all.

"Ah, and Tsukasa- If you are faking your feelings, I will find out and you will marry the girl I choose. Understand?"

He scoffed; his mother woudn't know love if it bit her on the ass.

* * *

Damn, damn, damn! Makino ran around her bedroom, gathering her clothes and rearranging her hair. She had forgotten to set the alarm and she was probably going to be late- It was 12:50 and she would have to run all the way to Ebisu garden and even then she was going to be five minutes late. She was donning her flats when she heard her phone go off.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Makino, is it okay if I bring some friends? They reminded me today that I owe them a lunch date."

Makino froze. She was going to meet his friends.. Would they be anything like Domyoji?

"Makino?"

"Ah umm.. Yea I don't mind."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit then."

She 'hn-ed" and the phone disconnected. She got up from her bed and ran across her apartment, picking up the book from the table. Down the stairs she ran, praying to God she wouldn't be late.

* * *

Rui leaned against the statue in the middle of the park, staring at the page in his book. He had been staring at the same page for the last ten minutes; Makino was late... Maybe at the mention of his friends, she had decided not to come after all. Maybe she was nervous that they would treat her the same as Tsukasa had. He had to chuckle at that. He couldn't imagine his two friends, who were the biggest playboys he'd ever known, mistreating a girl- no matter her status. Akira stood on the other side of the statue, having a muffled argument with one of his subordinates; as usual Sojiro was off flirting with random passerby, racking up numbers as though he wouldn't hit the club he usually went to after they were through with this.. meeting. Rui sighed; was he getting overexcited over one meeting?** (a/n: I make Rui such a worry-wart lol)**

He lay his head back on the cold stone, looking up into the sky. There weren't any clouds in the sky, so hopefully it wouldn't rain; though there was a bite to the wind that made him shiver. He planned to draw out this 'meeting' (because to him it was more like a date, considering his plan) and he didn't want it to be interrupted.

"Gomen!"

He looked down from the sky and smiled to himself as he saw Makino running across the pavement towards him, a worried expression on her face. She finally reached him and was panting, doubled over and hands on her knees.

"Were.. you.. waiting.. long?"

He only gave his trademark mysterious smile and shook his head. Then as if on cue, Akira finished his call and Sojiro got the last of his admirer's numbers. They both strolled over to either side of Makino, both grinning. Rui could only imagine what they had in store for her. Akira draped his arm over her jacket covered shoulders, and Sojiro lifted up her chin with one of his fingers forcing her to look at him as he winked at her. They both laughed when she turned a delightful shade of red- he even joined in with his soft laughter.

"These are my friends, Mimisaka Akira,"

Akira smirked in acknowledgement.

"Nice to meet you. If only you were ten years older.."

He laughed heartily again when the beet red blush returned to her cheeks.

"And Nishikado Sojiro."

Sojiro smiled seductively as though he was undressing her with his eyes, and Makino squirmed away from the two, her entire face red.

"Maybe we can meet up sometime? What do you say sweetheart?"

That seemed to break Makino out of her fit of shyness. She stared up from the ground, eyes showing she was slightly taken aback by Sojiro calling her by such a overbold nickname. However instead of the outburst Rui expected she notably bit her tongue and merely bowed in acknowledgement of his- however shameless- greeting.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Makino Tsukushi."

Then she stared straight into the pair's eyes and Rui noticed they visibly winced. He had to smile; there were few things that managed to daunt the two playboys.

"Ah Hanazawa-san."

She turned to him, rummaging in her shoulder bag and then pulled out his book; from what he had read so far, the book was rather good- it was about a fallen angel that is cured of his aversion to humans by a single fairy that he found wounded in a glade. He had only gotten so far that he knew that the angel was hopelessly in love with the hardheaded fairy that showed him that there were two sides to everything.

"I hope you don't mind.. but I read it. It's really good.."

She smiled at him somewhat sheepishly and he felt his eyes widen. She had read the book in half a night? He had to admit, he was impressed.

"I don't mind. Maybe once I'm done with it we can meet up to discuss it."

He could've smacked himself; they weren't even through with the first date and he was already making arrangements for another one? He wasn't even sure if he liked this girl. He couldn't help but sneer at himself mentally; he was lying to himself and he knew it. This girl intrigued him and he was going to pursue her whether or not she thought the same of him or not.

* * *

**The night before..**

_Makino was propped up against her bed, head bowed down intent on the book in front of her. Ironically the book was titled 'Dark Angel' when the book was completely white, save for the text on the pages. Makino was completely absorbed in the book; she had only meant a quick peek, but the author had her hooked on the first word. Now she was more than halfway done with the book. She turned, albeit reluctantly to check the time and groaned in response. It was already 5 AM.. damn she should go to sleep soon.. but she had to give the book back tomorrow.. Maybe just another hour more..._

**(a/n:And so the reason she forgot to set the alarm clock is revealed)**

Makino smiled as she walked next to Rui towards a small cafe she had recommended. They entered the building and there was a collective sigh of appreciation when the waitresses (and some waiters for that matter) caught sight of the three gorgeous boys who were impeccably dressed, Rui in his loose white long sleeved T, and slightly fitted jeans with pointed white shoes, Akira dressed in a black suit that gave him the aura only those in power have, and Sojiro in a green long sleeve button down and _very_ fitted jeans; it was as though they had come from a fashion show. The long sigh was followed with icy glares all pointed toward Makino who felt very much the commoner in her dark brown long skirt and green t-shirt under a cute blue sweater. A particularly tall waitress walked over, looking down at her menu and Makino smiled at her old time friend- Yuuki.

"How many will it be?"

She still hadn't looked up from the menu, which Makino presumed hid her cell phone. Makino decided to bring her back to Earth.

"It'll be four, Yuuki."

At the sound of her name, said girl looked up and smiled brightly when she saw her best friend since forever. They had lost touch a few months back.

"Tsukushi! Sashiburi!"

They hugged, the boys shooting them dubious glances. Finally they broke apart and Yuuki led them over to a booth in the far corner- Makino noticed she carefully avoided placing them by the window. Makino understood her logic; if the girls passing by caught sight of the trio of very handsome guys then the small cafe would be mobbed, and from the looks of it though there were many waitresses and waiters, they were still understaffed- after all it was winter break for high school students and the hot drinks were rather good. She took their orders, noticeably staring at Sojiro and then disappeared to the back of the kitchen. It was the person receiving said attention that spoke up first.

"Makino, who was that?"

"My best friend; I had forgotten she worked here."

After that Sojiro turned kind of somber, though she thought she caught slight mumbles from him that sounded like 'model' and 'angel'. Even if she did go on a second... what was this? Could it be considered a date? Even if she did go on another outing with Rui and he brought along his friends, she didn't think she'd ever understand the way they thought. At least he had had enough sense not to bring along Domyoji. If he had this entire thing would have crashed and burned a _long_ time ago.

* * *

Tsukasa was walking down the street; he had ditched his chauffeur because he simply refused to go to yet _another _meeting involving numbers and other boring things. All he gleaned from the discussion was that he would send his personal assistant in lieu of actually attending the meeting himself when he took over the company. He was looking around, examining the horrors that commoners had to live through every day. He had asked to be dropped off by Ebisu Garden just because of the sheer relaxing aura of the place; plus he liked sitting in the nook in that weird statue in the middle of the park. Besides he was more than slightly anxious about the strange feelings Rui was getting for that stupid commoner; he didn't want to see Rui get hurt. He was just about to turn the corner when heard someone who sounded vaguely familiar shouting.

"Gomen!"

He continued walking but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the source of his odd anxiety. Rui stood by the statue as he (Tsukasa assumed) introduced Sojiro and Akira to that commoner girl. He stood there, mouth agape as they flirted (Sojiro) and teased (Akira) her. He found himself scowling as he saw Rui's face light up with a barely there smile when Makino turned red. Then Sojiro said something and Tsukasa was about to stalk forward when he saw the contempt in the short girl's eyes. Her brown eyes... Tsukasa almost slapped himself. What the hell was he doing thinking about some random girl's eyes?! She wasn't even that pretty; the best commendation he could give her was painfully normal. Nothing about her stood out, not her straight bouncy hair, nor her clear, somewhat pale complexion.. And her sense of style was horrendous! Who wore long skirts when meeting up with a guy?

It was with a large amount of malice that Tsukasa restrained himself from hitting his head when his thoughts began to wander towards his imaginings of what was _under _her skirt. No he could do much better. He was going to marry a model wasn't he? He shook his head, as though to clear the memory of those deep telling brown eyes and refocused his eyes on the scene. Rui and Makino were talking and Rui had an expression that showed he was somewhat impressed, which struck the curly haired boy as odd. Since when did Rui find anything impressive? The group then began walking back the way Makino had come from and just as he was about to lose sight of them, Tsukasa reached into his pocket and took out the crumpled up cap he had in there. He had meant to throw the ratty thing out when he got out of the car, but it would have to do. Now that he had caught sight of his friends, it was practically his duty to make sure that gold digger didn't try to sink her claws into his other two friends!

He followed them down the street and suppressed a groan when they went into a run down cafe on the corner. He walked nonchalantly down the street, trying not to look suspicious and was glad when he saw that they didn't get seated in front of the window; they would have seen him and he would have had to explain to them (or at the very least Rui) what he was doing following them. He wasn't eager to have another fight over a girl with Rui- it just wasn't good for their friendship. Grudgingly he entered the cafe, hoping that they wouldn't see him. Luckily for him, Akira and Sojiro were turned away from him and Rui and Makino were in a seemingly interesting conversation, the topic being the white book Rui had in his hands. Tsukasa tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the waitress to come seat him. A short girl with curly black hair that had red streaks came over and all but dragged him over to a small table in the table across the room from his friends.

"My name is Manda and I will be your server today and all that jazz. Any idea what you want or do you want a few minutes?"

Tsukasa looked up, slightly annoyed at the manner that this girl was treating him, as though she had absolutely no idea who he was or the respect he demanded out of everyone who got the honor of serving him.

"I'll have a strawberry iced tea."

The girl took the small menu from him, her hand brushing his for just the smallest moment. It wasn't until she had disappeared from his sight that he realized she seemed vaguely familiar.. A few minutes later she returned a small tray in her hand. She set down the drink and was about to leave when Tsukasa felt his hand shoot out to grab her wrist.

"What the hell? Get your hands off of me- commoner!"

Tsukasa felt himself go rigid at that. Who the hell was this girl? Him, a commoner? Didn't she know who she was dealing with?

"Who the hell do you think you're dealing with girl? I am the almighty Domyoji Tsukasa and I demand the highest of respect!"

"Never heard of you! Now let go of me before I call my private police on you! Your pitiful business will crash and burn if you bump heads with the Shika Group!"

Tsukasa felt himself let go of her, purely out of shock. This ill-bred girl was the daughter of the Shika Group? His mother had been trying to get them to merge with the Domyoji group for the better part of a year. He felt as though vinegar had been poured into his brain, frying his circuits. If this girl were to inherit then.. he would have to make deals with her.. And he had just yelled at her. It was a seldom event that Tsukasa found himself intimidated by someone, but this was one of those times. He had crossed a possibly fatal line. He looked away from the girl and looked around at the customers of the shop; they were all staring at him. He looked towards the corner where his friends were and felt his eyes widen. Rui was looking at him, his eyes dead and a noticeably cold aura radiating off of his very being.

* * *

**Ooohh a cliffy :D I was going to include another part in this chappie but alas it is already midnight and thanks to my coach for gym who has sadistic tendencies, I am tired as hell. Again, this chapter fell kinda short from my own personal expectations, but it has its charms I think. SOo... review?**


	4. Call It Bad Timing

**WOot! Yet another daily update! Okay so once again thanks go out to: Illuminating-Darkness, Spoutnik, forever angel , and (quickly becoming my favorite reviewer ;)) Saranghae-Minnie. Love you guys!**

**Saranghae-Minnie: Rui is so squishable isn't he? Lol I was laughing the entire time I was imaging Sojiro, Rui and Akira trying to figure out what the girls were thinking! Love your reviews -they seriously make my day- and uber glad you like the story!**

_Disclaimer: Only the plot is mine.. Otherwise the drama would've ended with Rui stealing Makino away from Tsukasa_** ;) **

------------

"Excuse me,"

Rui moved out of the booth and began taking long strides toward Tsukasa. He knew this wasn't a coincidence; his friend had been following them. Why else would he have sat down in the corner across the room? He didn't want to be seen. He didn't want to have to explain himself. He finally reached Tsukasa who was caught in between staring at him and the girl who had proclaimed she was the daughter of the Shika group. He grabbed Tsukasa's wrist and walked out of the café, his idiot of a friend in tow. He walked down the block making sure to be out of sight of the café ; he didn't want to cause more of a scene than there already was.

"Why the hell were you following us?"

His voice was cold ad harsh but he couldn't bring himself to care about it. Ever since they were little, Tsukasa had controlled certain aspects of his life- romance was not going to become one of them.

"I was worried!"

He stared at his friend, who had the beginnings of a scowl on his face; too bad Rui didn't care.

"About what? She's a normal girl! What is she going to do that is so horrendous!?"

Tsukasa didn't reply for a few seconds- if he came out with that gold digger theory again...he would be eating pavement quicker than he could blink.

"Is it so bad for me to be worried over you Rui? You're my best friend! Besides I didn't skip a meeting with the sole intent of fołlowing you. I was gonna go sit in the middle of the statue thing at Ebisu Garden, but you were there! How the hell am I supposed to just see you go off with some whore?"

Rui felt his fists clench. He was tired of Tsukasa's attitude towards women. He picked up his arm and was about to swing when he felt a soft hand pull back on his arm. He turned around to stare into eyes he could drown in.

--------------

"Stop it."

Tsukasa watched in disbelief as that Makino girl stopped Rui from punching him. Why couldn't this girl mind her own business?

"Get out of here commoner- this is a fight among men. Why don't you find another sugar daddy to leech off o-"

Tsukasa felt a blow to his jaw and stumbled backwards. That was the second time that girl hit him, and it would be the last.

"You little-"

He drew back his fist and got ready to pummel the living daylights out of the girl when Akira and Sojiro appeared behind him; they restrained him from going any farther.

"Let go of me!"

He fought against his friends, rage clouding his vision in a sea of red. Why was it a crime to be worried about the well being of your friend?!

--------------

Rui watched as his friend struggled helplessly to get away from Sojiro and Akira.

"Let him go."

He barely registered the fact that the words came from his own lips and that he was grabbing Makino's hand and towing her down the street.

"Hanazawa-san.."

He seldom got angry like this, and afterwards he usually regretted it; not this time. Tsukasa had deserved it. He understood that his friend had his best interests at heart, but it was proving to be over nothing!

"Hanazawa-san.."

Nothing was going to change his mind about this girl, whom he may or may not love.

"Hanazawa-san!"

Rui felt a sharp pull on his arm and nearly stumbled backwards. He looked around, wide eyed. He didn't recognize the area; how long had he been spacing out?

"Where are we?"

She shrugged and he felt unease begin to grow in the pit of his stomach. Wherever they were didn't look very hospitable.

"Did you see which way we came?"

She shook her head sullenly.

"You were walking to fast and I couldn't pull away from your grip.."

Rui looked at her, concern in his eyes. She looked slightly shaken and he wanted to hit his head on the wall in back of him when he saw the redness surrounding her wrist; great, she probably thought he was a lunatic.

-----------

Makino looked around at her unfamiliar surroundings. Why did it turn out this way? The outing had been going so well until that idiot Domyoji came along.. Why couldn't he just mind his own business?! She looked up at Rui, who had his eyes closed and was leaning back against the graffitied brick wall. If any other guy had towed her along like that, she would have been pissed off.. But it was Rui. She found she couldn't be mad at him.

"Oy, ne-chan"

Makino snapped out of her reverie, tensing. A group of guys were walking towards them and it was only until that moment that Makino realized they had walked into a dead end alley. She turned to Rui, whose face was blank all signs of his rage with Tsukasa gone.

"How about you ditch your little boyfriend and come along with us? We'll show you what real men are like!"

The grimy crass men laughed at their own remark, the tallest one slowly stalking forward to reach for Makino's hand.

"Go away."

Makino was stunned; Rui's voice was soft as usual but there was an edge to it. An edge that was probably a result from his earlier fight.

"Ah look, baby boy is trying to protect his little side of beef. How cute!"

They laughed again and before Makino knew what she was doing she was preparing for her first swing. However the tall man caught her wrist as she let it move forward to punch him. He pulled her towards him, and forced her to look into his beady little eyes.

"Aww that's not a nice way to treat your new dadd-"

He didn't finish his sentence because at that moment Makino issued a sharp knee to his privates. He crumpled down the floor, swearing loudly. She turned to look at the place Rui had been standing, but he wasn't there. She heard a loud thump and she turned around to see him finishing off the other two cronies. His gaze locked with her, apprehension apparent in his eyes.

"Are you okay?"

His voice was soft again, and Makino felt her heart flutter some. She nodded.

"Are you okay Hanaz-"

"Rui."

She looked at him, a bit confused. Then a slightly teasing smile appeared on his face.

"Call me Rui."

Makino found herself drowning in those mysterious eyes. Eyes that sometimes were so blank it was as though he wasn't from this earth; eyes that sometimes sparkled so much, it was as though they were extremely dark diamonds.

"Okay, Rui."

-------------

"Ah, Rui forgot his books and Makino her bag."

Sojiro looked despairingly down at the contents that had remained at the café. Apart from those two leaving behind their stuff, Rui had also left behind his phone- meaning they had no way to contact either one for the moment. They had thought about calling Makino from Rui's phone, but for that they needed a password. Damn iPhones.

Sojiro sat in the booth , head lolling over the upholstered seat and eyes closed as his thoughts whirled around in messy scribbles. Who else could possibly have Makino's number?

"Ah Nishikado-san.. Where's Tsukushi?"

Sojiro opened his eyes blearily as he gazed at his answer.

"Do you have Makino's number?"

Yuuki stared at him oddly then nodded somewhat confused. She pulled out her cell phone from the pocket of her apron and handed it over to him, snatching her hand back when his hand brushed hers. Sojiro however barely noticed her; right now he needed to find Rui so he didn't have to lug around their stuff all day long searching for them. He pressed the call key and scrolled down to Makino's number, then settled in as the line started ringing.

--------------

Rui felt warmth spreading from the very center of his being. Even though they were standing in the middle of a grimy alley, it didn't matter. Something inside him was changing, and he was pretty sure that Makino had something to do with it.

Even though they had only met the night before, there was something about Makino that made him feel like he'd known her for months or even years. He obstinacy and her willingness to speak her mind.. They were such rare finds in girls nowadays. Half the girls who threw themselves at him were prissy little things that laughed at every other thing he said, and the other half only had one thing in mind.. Which was to get a hotel room and fast- not that he ever obliged them.

He looked back down at Makino, who was looking up at him, an expression of confusion in her eyes.

-------------

Makino felt as though she had sunk into a hot tub, that's how warm she felt. The warmth spread from her chest and seemed to heighten every nerve ending of her being. She could feel his presence beside him and she felt safe. As long as she was beside him everything felt right.

Makino was looking up at Rui, feeling a sudden change in the air around them. It seemed to become electric. Then he looked down at her, their gazes connecting. She watched as Rui's eyes became lidded and he pulled her closer. She didn't know what was happening but it didn't matter. She was lost in the moment, a moment that she wouldn't mind being lost in forever.

---------------

Rui couldn't control himself as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close; in fact he half expected her to punch him in the jaw for such a move. Surprisingly though she just continued to gaze up into his eyes, a sort of recognition shining in those brown orbs. They didn't need to speak or ask permission to know what would happen next.

She tiptoed to make up the difference in height and he was about to press his lips to her when he heard vibrations coming from her skirt pocket.

Her eyes widened and she let herself fall from his grasp. She fished around in her pocket and then pulled out her cell phone. Rui sighed as she answered it, albeit blushing.

"Moshi moshi?"

There was silence in the alley, but Rui could still feel the electricity in the air.. Maybe they could salvage the moment...

"Hai, Nishikado-san; we'll meet you there in a little bit."

Or not.

---------------

**Aww poor Rui -sniffle- things always come up at the worst moments.. -sigh- well anyways I like this chapter a bit more than the others.. But im not sure if it feels rushed so ya... Review? **


	5. Call It Arrogance

**Edit: Gomen! I caught a really bad mistake right as I previewed it... **

**Ok so this is the fifth chappie, I really didn't know how to start it so I was a bit hesitant about updating today. Either way, here it is! Thanks go out -chan, Spoutnik. Saranghae-Minnie, Illuminating-Darkness, sagittariusleo, forever angel, and mad doggie. Your reviews are the reason I have inspiration :D **

**Saranghae-Minnie: Haha that's true.. -imagines Rui dressed up as a marshmallow- Omg O.o -nosebleed- that is so damn cute! And then when he's feeling insecure, omigosh I want to just have my OC (which is based after me btw AKA Manda Shika) run off with him and marry him lol :D I was like rofl when I imagined Rui's face when Makino answered the phone.. It was like.. shit. I really love your reviews and I hope you stick with me till the end!**

_Disclaimer: I don't own HYD! But I own my OC (Manda Shika) and this plot!_

* * *

Rui lay on his back on the soft comforter of his bed. He stared up at the ceiling, remembering the moment that he and Makino had nearly shared; why did his friends have such bad timing? After they had been interrupted and the moment consequently ruined, they had met up with Sojiro and Akira, who had only sought them out because they didn't want to lug their stuff around. Rui could've punched the pair for their sheer idiocy. He and Makino had made another date (he was sure that's what it was this time) for the next week. Maybe he could rekindle the moment that they had lost...

"_It's the Almighty, Answer Your Phone Rui! It's the Almighty, Answer Yo-_"

Rui picked up his phone and answered it, slightly reluctant. He was in no mood to talk to Tsukasa- especially after the scene he had caused in the cafe earlier.

"What do you want?"

"That's no way to greet your friend."

"Tsukasa I'm not in the mood."

Rui could hear his own soft voice slowly rising; if Tsukasa only called to warn him again about Makino he was seriously going to hang up the phone.

"Wait- Rui I have a problem and I need your help. Can you meet me?"

If it hadn't been for the anxiety in his friend's voice Rui probably wouldn't have bothered to even consider helping him, but it took a lot to make Tsukasa uneasy and he almost never asked for help.

"Yea, where?"

"At the club where we usually go."

Rui sighed. For a moment he had let himself hope that they would meet up at the club where Makino worked; at least then he wouldn't have to wait another couple of days to see her.

"Did you call Sojiro and Akira?"

"It doesn't concern them. You're the only one that can help me right now."

Then the line suddenly went silent and Rui stared at the phone with a confused expression. What could Tsukasa have possibly done that he can't even mention it to Sojiro or Akira?

* * *

Makino stood behind the bar, head in her hands looking out into the crowd searching for Rui. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up, but it was plausible that he couldn't wait until Thursday to see her.. right? After all he had been the one who tried to kiss her... She sighed and hung her head in disappointment. She was being utterly ridiculous! She had only known him for a day, and even then they had only really talked about things she liked and the book. She was acting as though he was her boyfriend when it was quite the contrary! She barely knew him! She turned around and began drying the glasses on the drying rack for something to do. Idleness didn't suit her; she had to had to have something to do with her hands. Soon though she was finished with that and she was left with nothing to do- again.

Tonight was a surprisingly slow night and it wasn't helping anything; she just couldn't get those sparkling marble eyes out of her mind.

"Yo!"

She turned around, half expecting to see Rui, but felt her smile visibly fall when the only person she saw was that girl who was at the cafe earlier. If she was being honest, which she was, she admired the girl for not taking Domyoji's crap but the girl seemed to be almost the same as Domyoji in the arrogance category. The girl was dressed in a long black shirt coming up to her knees, and faded skinny jeans, with her curly hair up in a somewhat elegant yet messy knot.

"You were with Hanazawa Rui at the cafe I work at right?"

Makino's eyes widened; the girl certainly was observant, she had to give her that much.

"Wait, how do you know Rui?"

The girl smirked a knowing smirk and then leaned onto the counter her face coming close to Makino's own.

"You see, Rui is my ex fiancée."

Makino was floored; this breathtaking creature was Rui's ex-fiancée? She felt her eyes widen. How was she supposed to compete with this girl? Wait she didn't even know if the girl was still interested in him or not.

"How did you guys get together?"

The girl visibly winced; maybe she was hoping that Makino wouldn't ask that.

"It was an arranged engagement and let me tell you neither one of us was happy about it. Luckily his father thought me too crude and two months into the engagement he broke it off. I just wanted to warn you that if Rui's parents find out about you, there'll be hell. After all you're a commoner right?"

Makino nodded, feeling as though something was stuck in her throat. The girl smiled a genuine smile and Makino felt herself being drawn into those dark brown eyes, almost as though she was in a trance.

"Let me tell you a bit about his family, just so you somewhat understand the situation, and why Rui is as introverted as he is. Rui is the son of a very powerful business, and since he is the only son he has always been alone, with only the company of the occasional nanny or servant Now when it comes to his family, his mother is a socialite that never has time for him; the most he'll see of her is her silhouette as she's getting in a limo to go traveling. His father, he only sees when there is a business meeting and then most of the time they don't even talk to each other. His dad is a die-hard traditionalist and if he finds out about you guys, he'll give you hell. He won't interfere in the relationship, but he'll try his damn hardest to find his idea of a 'suitable wife' for his son and Rui will have no choice but to either leave the company or leave you."

Makino stared at her, not quite believing what she was hearing. She felt bad for Rui; how could two parents just leave him basically, to fend for himself?The girl looked up her hands and smiled softly.

"Rui's a good guy, and though he keeps quiet most of the time..that look in his eyes..he might really like you. So be careful, ne?"

The expression on the girl's face caught her off guard; maybe she wasn't so much like Domyoji after all.. Then something occurred to Makino; if this girl was really Rui's ex-whatever, then why didn't Domyoji have a clue of who she was?

"How come Domyoji didn't recognize you? After all he is Rui's best friend from what I've observed.."

The girl scoffed ,giving a incredulous look.

"Please, Domyoji is so self absorbed, I'm amazed he doesn't think that the world rotates for the sole purpose of his 'beauty sleep'. He wouldn't notice me if I was the last person on Earth."

As she said those words, Makino noticed a slight blush form on the pale girl's cheeks; maybe there was something more fueling that little scene in the cafe than she had assumed?

* * *

"What did you need help with?"

Rui sat back in the plush booth, with eyes closed. Tsukasa sat across from him and was staring at him intently.

"I need you to do some damage control for me."

Rui's eyes widened in surprise; what did he have access to that Tsukasa didn't?

"Huh?"

"I need you to talk to Manda Shika."

Rui stared at him, trying to remember why that name sounded familiar. He went through recent memories... Who was that?

"Sorry, who?"

Tsukasa stared at him as though he was an idiot.

"You know, you're ex-fiancée? Geez Rui, sometimes you can be such a space cadet!"

Rui frowned at the mention of the girl. He hadn't spoken to Manda since they had broken off the engagement four years ago.. But why would Tsukasa need him to- Then Rui remembered. Tsukasa had gotten into a fight earlier with a girl who said she was the daughter of the Shika group.. He hadn't really had time to absorb those words because he'd been mad at Tsukasa for acting like an idiot...

"Tsukasa.. I haven't talked to her in ages.. I doubt her number is even the same..."

At this Tsukasa beamed.

"I already set up an appointment for Thursday."

Rui glared at him. He was getting tired of dealing with his best friends arrogance. He hadn't even bothered to ask if he had anything to do that day- which he did; Thursday was the day that he and Makino had their date. Then something occurred to him- maybe this could work to his advantage.

"Okay, but in return you have to do me a favor.."

* * *

**Thursday**

Makino was making the finishing touches to her hair when there was a knock at her door. It was probably Rui, who had agreed to pick her up for their date. She looked in the mirror and was pleased with her outfit. She had chosen a long sleeved white blouse, some dark jeans and boots that reached up to her knees.

"Coming!"

She made her way through the apartment and was almost giddy when she reached the door. She opened it and felt her face fall when she saw who it was: Domyoji Tsukasa.

* * *

_Flashback__  
__  
__"Okay, but in return you have to do me a favor."__  
__  
__Tsukasa leaned back in the chair across from Rui, putting his hands behind his head. He could handle anything, except talking to that little chibi brat from Shika.__  
__  
__"I had a date with Makino and I'm assuming this 'appointment' you made is in the morning, am I correct?"__  
__  
__Tsukasa nodded, not liking at all where this was going.__  
__  
__"It might take until later in the afternoon, which if it does will conflict with my plans."__  
__  
__Tsukasa gulped, starting to catch his friends drift.__  
__  
__"And?"__  
__  
__"I want you to accompany Makino on what should have been my date. I'll call you when I get out of the meeting and go take over for you afterwards."__  
__  
__Rui was smiling his usual calm smile, but to Tsukasa's horror, there was that glint in his eyes meaning he wasn't joking around. The price of saving his future company was spending an afternoon dealing with a commoner!__  
__  
__"Fine."__  
__  
__"But there's one condition,"__  
__  
__What more could Rui possibly want.__  
__  
__"Under no circumstances are you allowed to mistreat Makino. If you do you'll not only have her to deal with- I'll make sure my words with Manda are forgotten and you'll have to answer to me."__  
__  
__End Flashback_

That's how Tsukasa ended up at Makino's door- he had to fulfill his promise to Rui, otherwise he'd be in a pile of trouble later on.

Makino looked shocked, as though this was the worst possible thing that could've happened to her. He wanted to tell her the feeling was mutual but he had a feeling that verbal abuse counted as 'mistreating' her. Tsukasa really couldn't comprehend his friend- how did he go from fawning over Shizuka to this riff-raff?

"W-what are you doing here!?"

Her tone was indignent. Apparently she didn't understand the immense honor that was being given to her.

"I have Rui on an errand; he made me promise to keep you company until he got back."

"You can leave; I don't want to spend an afternoon fighting with you!"

Makino was about to shut the door, but Tsukasa wedged his pointed shoe in between the door and the frame, being careful of course not to scratch the expensive Italian leather. He didn't know Rui's motives for making him agree to this, but Tsukasa always welcomed a challenge.

"I'll pay you to go along with me; just name your price."

Tsukasa grinned to himself. This was just what he needed as proof- as soon as Makino named some exuberant price, he would take the evidence (the receipt of the ATM transaction) to Rui and prove to him once and for all that this woman was nothing but a gold digger! **(a/n: Tsukasa just doesn't give up does he?) **

"I don't need your money, now get out!"

Tsukasa's eyes widen as the statement caught him off guard. Usually that would've worked; it always worked on normal commoners. Then something clicked in his mind: Rui didn't associate himself with girls because they were all so normal.. so predictable. But somehow, from the moment Rui saw this girl he could tell that she wasn't normal. Tsukasa wedged himself between the door and forced his way in. He finally understood why Rui wouldn't let this girl go; she was far from normal.

"What the hell? What's with that creepy smile on your face?"

That brought him back to reality. Him, the Almighty? Creepy? Never. He'd have to get back at her later though; he wasn't going to screw this up.

"I made a promise to Rui and I intend to keep it."

He looked around the somewhat spartan living room (compared to his anyways). There was a solid blue couch, with a small coffee table and a small love sea.; Tsukasa decided none of them were sumptuous enough for him to sit in.

"So where was Rui going to take you?"

Makino looked at him as he made his way around the small room, almost pacing.

"Rui said it was a surprise."

Tsukasa stopped in his tracks; Rui was definitely getting back at him for the scene at the cafe and all those times he caused him grief over Makino.

"Umm.. okay.. so where do you want to go then?"

Makino looked at him, obviously unimpressed by his lack of preparation. He had mistakenly assumed that Rui had given her plans and now he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Let's go to the zoo."

Tsukasa looked at Makino, who had a kind smile on her face, albeit it was a bit skeptical. Maybe she was going to give him a break. He walked to the door and opened it, waiting for Makino to get her things. They walked down the stairwell in relative silence, and Tsukasa had to admit, he was kicking himself in the ass for not letting any girl approach him; his lack of experience was showing. They got into the limo, the awkward silence making him feel oddly out of place.

"So what do you do at the zoo?"

* * *

Makino walked beside Domyoji, feeling extremely uncomfortable. As it were Domyoji had never been at the zoo and he had been casting dubious glances towards the glass separating him from the animals. Then Makino had an idea for revenge. Ever since she had met him all he had done was insult her, though for some reason he had been exceedingly quiet today. She waved it off; there was probably a reason why he was keeping himself in check but that hardly mattered to her. All that mattered was that she was going to have some fun with him. She turned to him, an angelic smile in place.

"Ne, Domyoji, let's go to the pet store across the street; the zoo is boring since right now is practically nap-time for the animals."

He made a face, apparently thinking she was crazy but didn't say anything. Instead he grunted skeptically and in a flash of boldness that Makino didn't even know she was capable of, she grabbed his hand and proceeded to pull (drag) him to the exit of the zoo and then out to the cement. His hand was smooth against her semi-calloused one and Makino snickered to herself; he probably got a manicure every week.

"Hey wai- I'm allergic.. This isn't such a goo- Hey WOMAN!"

Tsukasa tore his hand out of hers and Makino stopped in her steps, putting on a crestfallen face. She was pretty sure that this errand was important to him and that Rui had threatened him or something; otherwise why would he behave so well? He hadn't told her off at all and this seemed to be the only expectation- there was definitely something in it for him.

"That's too bad.. I really wanted to see the new litter of puppies that just got shipped in..."

Makino knew she sucked at lying but this was not a lie.. merely a chance to exploit the "Great Tsukasa Domyoji's" one weakness and she was going to take full advantage of it.

* * *

Tsukasa made a face as he allowed himself to be towed into the pet store; he had always hated animals- ever since his idiot cousin had brought over that huge German Shepherd when he was five, he had never been comfortable around animals. The only reason he had even agreed to go to the zoo was because the animals had no chance of getting at him- a pet store was pushing it a bit, considering that they were all in open kennels so they could be petted and such. Makino let go of his hand and he was shocked to feel the urge to grab it up again. Her hand had been warm, though somewhat calloused on her palm- but still it felt nice. Makino ran towards a litter of puppies and began to coo over them, lifting one of the bigger ones to nuzzle against her cheek. She seemed to really be enjoying herself. Tsukasa walked over to the far corner of the store, well away from the kennels that adorned the walls; then the worst thing possible happened. Makino began walking towards him, the puppy outstretched to him.

"Come on, at least pet him."

Her usually annoyed tone was gone, instead replaced with an annoying baby tone; it was as though she knew he was scared of the drooling thing. He shook his head, standing up straighter against the wall. He didn't want that thing within five feet of him- who knew what type of diseases it had?! Thankfully at that moment his phone began to buzz in his pocket.

"Hold on.. I have to take this."

He pulled out the phone and smiled in relief when he saw it was Rui.

"Where are you?"

"At the pet store across from the zoo. Please come quick."

"Ah okay, I'll be right there."

Tsukasa hung up the phone very much relieved; he didn't want to spend one more minute in this god forsaken pet store.

"Was that Rui?"

Makino appeared at his side outside of the pet store, thankfully sans puppy.

"Yea, seems like my duty here is done."

He smiled to himself; the day with Makino hadn't been that bad, considering that the awkwardness between them had efficiently kept her from making too much conversation which had gave him significantly less chances to make fun of her.

"It wasn't so bad spending the day with a gold digging commoner."

He didn't realize the words had come out of his lips until Makino was glaring at him, confusion and anger in her eyes.

"What the hell?! I didn't ask for a single thing- I even refused your money when you offered it to me in lieu of going out with me! Yet here we are five awkward hours later and you still have the same opinion of me?! You are the most presumptuous, idiotic, hardheaded _boy _I have ever had the _displeasure_ to meet!"

That was it; Tsukasa had been _baby-sitting _girl all day and because of one slip up on his part that commoner had the idea that it was okay to disrespect him, the Almighty Domyoji Tsukasa! Makino stormed off down the street and Tsukasa followed her, rage making his blood boil. That little brat.. He caught up to her and grabbed her wrist and pulled her close enough so she could hear him whisper.

"You think that just because I treat you nicely for one day that you are my equal? You're less than the dirt beneath my feet, and it's time you learn your lesson!"

* * *

Rui was driving along in his white car **(a/n: I don't know what model it is so if anyone knows..) **keeping an eye out for the zoo. He knew it was a little way down from Sakura Park, but he wasn't exactly sure where it was. He was looking out at a patch of sidewalk when he happened to glance a couple struggling by the alley there. He slowed down to a crawl; if something happened to that girl he couldn't forgive himself if he just passed her up without so much as helping her. He got out of his car and walked down the alley, eyes widening as he took in the scene in front of him. The couple he had seen was none other than Tsukasa and Makino. Makino was pressed up against a wall, Tsukasa pressing her hands up above her head and swinging back as though he was going to punch her. Rui saw a red haze cover his vision and he approached his _ex-_best friend.

"Tsukasa."

The curly haired boy slowly turned around and Rui raised his fist; it connected as Tsukasa fully turned around. He stumbled backwards into the adjacent wall and Rui ran over to Makino who was slightly trembling. She didn't say anything though and unlike other girls who had been in similar situations her cheeks were free from tears.

"Rui.. please this is a misunderstanding.. She was mouthing off to me!"

Rui looked down coldly at the mess that used to be his best friend.

"I warned you Tsukasa; I said if you mistreated her in any way, you'd have to answer me."

Tsukasa paled but nevertheless got to his feet. He shook, whether from anger or fear Rui neither knew or cared. He turned to Makino and smiled softly at her; he had realized something earlier during his discussion with Manda, and it had only been confirmed at that moment. He grabbed her hand, relishing in it's warmth and loving how it seemed to fit perfectly in his.

"Rui.. Don't leave with her.. If you do, I won't talk to you again."

Rui just continued walking and opened the car door for Makino and then getting in his car. He put the keys in the ignition and as he started up the car Tsukasa stumbled out of the alley, looking thoroughly confused; up until now Rui had done everything his friend asked of him but this time he wasn't going to. Tsukasa had crossed a line, and even though Rui knew he was dense, he knew Tsukasa wasn't so dense that he couldn't figure out what was going to transpire next.

"Goodbye Tsukasa."

Rui drove off, watching as his friend sank to his knees, and then turned to Makino who had a slightly worried expression on her face.

"Did he hurt you?"

His voice was impassive; he hadn't completely processed the fact that Tsukasa and he no longer would have anything to do with each other. Though his head said he shouldn't have left his friend back there, his heart was angry, and wanted to drive back there and beat his curly head to a pulp.

"Un.. Are you sure you don't want to go back for him Rui? You've been friends for so long.. I feel responsible..."

They approached a yellow light and Rui slowed down, staring at Makino.

_Flashback_

_"Rui.. You're here to argue Tsukasa's case for him aren't you?"_

_Manda sat behind a large pristine desk, dressed to the teeth in a black suit with a red tie. Her eyes seemed to dissect him from behind her square rimmed glasses and he found himself remembering when they had first gotten engaged; he hadn't liked her, at least not in that way- she was too devious for his liking. But she was a good person to talk to. Judging from the look in her eye he could tell she hadn't changed a bit. _

_"I met your girl."_

_Rui looked at her skeptically; how had she found Makino? Then he shook his head clear of the thought; he never had figured out the girl even when they had spent most of their time together. He decided not to question her. If she was mentioning it, it was because she had something to say about it. _

_"You made a good choice Rui; but if I know that idiot of a friend you put up with, you're going to have to make a choice between the two of them. Probably sooner than later. In other words, Rui, you have to decide who is more important to you."_

_End Flashback_

Rui smiled serenely; As usual Manda had been right and he'd made his choice. He stopped at the red light and caught Makino's gaze.

"I warned him Makino, that he chose to ignore it was his own fault. Besides.. I'm tired of him making my choices for me. From now on.."

He bent down so that he was at eye level with her, his smile widening as a soft blush crept up her cheeks at his closeness.

"...I choose you."

He sealed the distance and kissed her soft lips, loving the feel of them against his own cold ones. Everything in him screamed that this was right and he couldn't help but smirk into the kiss; this was how it was supposed to be- and Tsukasa or not, he wouldn't change anything.

* * *

**EPIC FAIL! Not only did I take forever writing this chapter, I don't like it.. It's the longest chapter though.. -sigh- Even my attempt at recreating that scene in the pet shop (those of you who have watched the drama know what I'm talking about) fell short.. -sigh-**

**Okay so (before I get my first flame on this story) I haven't read the manga or watched the anime so if there are any inconsistencies regarding Rui's family I am really sorry! Okay so per the request of one of my reviewers, I started giving Tsukasa hints that he's falling for Makino's stubborn nature and of course I put up an obstacle for him.. i.e. Rui's 'choice' What shall happen next I wonder.. -thinks and then holds up a sign saying 'Review?'-**


	6. Call It Unexpected

**Omigosh! You cannot believe how anxious I was for everyone's reviews yesterday! Honestly, maybe because it gets boring reading your stuff over and over again (which I did because for some reason chapter 5 was not coming out the way I wanted it to). So all in all I will once again thank those MARVELOUS, BADASS people who made my day (night): b . aka-chan, Illuminating-Darkness, forever angel, Saranghae-Minnie, and Spoutnik!**

**To b . aka -chan, Illuminating-Darkness, and forever angel: Thank you, thank you thank you! You have no idea how relieved I was when you guys said you all liked the chapter! You all rule! - moshes a little to awesome background music that comes on magically-**

**Saranghae-Minnie: As always I love your review and I will miss you if you go MIA (don't worry I understand)! I know how you feel, even though it's been like two weeks since my spring break disappeared D: Luckily Easter break is coming up so ;)!lol actually if you pay really close attention to this chapter, I included a little surprise (you'll understand what I mean when you get there). Yea, I just imagined Rui like 'huh?'; he and Tsukasa are the only ones that I could imagine forgetting the name of their fiancées. :D Once again thank you for your review and I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Tsukasa stared off into space, his feet resting on the gleaming coffee table in his bedroom. Why had Rui chosen a girl over him? Tsukasa understood that the girl was special to him, yes but for Rui to blow him off without considering the alternative? That girl must've already found a way to wrap his best friend around her grimy little fingers. Tsukasa looked down at his own manicured hand, remembering the impulse he had to grab Makino's hand again. He scoffed and shook the memory off; it had been an insane reaction due to being in a store full of diseased filled animals.

He laid his head back, sighing. For the first time since he was like.. three, Tsukasa wished his last name wasn't Domyoji.

* * *

Rui walked along side Makino, absolutely content. After that incident with Tsukasa they had gone to eat; Makino enjoyed her food to the point where she was laughably cute. Now they were on their way to a movie theater down the block from the restaurant. He smiled serenely and reached for Makino's hand which was cold in his own warm one. They rounded the corner and were about to make their way to get the tickets when something caught his eye. He stopped in his tracks and pulled Makino got pulled back,almost falling.

"What is it Ru...?"

Rui couldn't look back at her because he was staring at possibly the oddest sight on Earth. Sojiro was sitting on a bench and on his lap sat Makino's friend ,Yuuki - and it didn't look like either one was coming up for air soon. Sojiro had his hands around Yuuki's waist and Yuuki had her hands tangled in his hair. This in itself wasn't the odd part- Rui had long since gotten used to seeing Sojiro making out with girl; that in itself was inevitable. What he didn't understand though, was how they got together. After all they had only met that one time and even then they hadn't been formally introduced. From what Rui remembered he and his friends had just stared on as the two hugged and squealed.

* * *

Makino looked on as she felt a blush creep up her face. She had never seen her friend like this ,all mussed up and wrapped so...so... Intimately around someone. It was like she was a different person.

"Yuuki.."

Both parted reluctantly and her friend stared at her, a mixture of surprise and shock in her eyes.

"Ah.. Tsukushi.."

Her friend blushed while Sojiro shot something resembling a cocky smile towards Rui. Yuuki blushed deeper at seeing this and hastily got off Sojiro - or tried to; Sojiro's arm was still around her gave a nervous laugh, obviously expecting this to be the last place she'd ever see her friend.

"Hahaha.. So umm.."

She extricated herself from Sojiro's arm and fixing her slightly messed up clothes, walked over to Makino enveloping her in a hug. Makino responded in kind, mentally shaking her head at her best friend; she really shouldn't make out in public.

* * *

Rui walked over to Sojiro and with soft 'yo' sat down next to him, while Makino and Yuuki once again did something similar to what they were doing at the café. He smirked; he had long since given up trying to figure out why girls acted the way that they did around others of their he noticed something odd. There was a girl, not much older than him, dressed in all black, leaning casually on the wall- this was not abnormal, but was was abnormal was the fact that she was staring point blank in Makino's direction and snapping pictures of her with a minuscule camera. Rui got up from the bench abruptly and walked over to Makino, pulling her close from behind- close enough that only she could hear him.

"I think we're being followed. Can go see the movie now? I have a bad feeling about being outside."

Makino looked up at, apparently extremely confused, but nevertheless nodded. He locked hands with her and with short 'byes' and 'I'll talk to you later' they walked into the theater. Rui walked towards the counter and purchased two tickets for a comedy that had just come out. As he handed Makino the tickets, he caught sight of the same girl and grimaced. Who was having him followed? He bought them popcorn and towed Makino along towards the entrance to the theaters.

"Rui, that girl in all black- that's the girl you think is following us right?"

Rui turned to Makino and shooting a glance at the girl, who was going towards the door, nodded. Then his eyes widened as he saw the vehicle that the girl got into- it had his family's company seal on it.

"Someone from my family's company is following us; I don't know for what purpose, but she just left."

Makino's eyes widened and Rui pulled her in a close hug.

"It'll be okay...Everything is going to be fine."

Rui didn't know why, but the words even sounded hollow in his ears.

* * *

Tsukasa lay back on his bed, eyes covered by his arm. He had been trying to get those scornful eyes out of his mind for hours now- and utterly failed. He groaned as he heard his door opening but when he opened his eyes to look, there was no one. There was however a single rose petal on the floor; Tsukasa got up and was about to throw it away when he noticed its peculiar shape- it was a perfect heart.

He moved it closer to his face, inspecting it with the utmost scrutiny, searching for signs that this was unnatural. He turned around, about to lay back down onto his bed when he noticed something- his bed was no longer empty. On his bed was his sister. He gave a girlish shriek (though he'd never admit it), and when his sister began laughing, he turned red.

"Oy ne-chan! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Tsubaki was red from laughing so hard, but slowly she was regaining her composure.

"What are you scared of Tsu-chan?"

"Don't call me that!"

He crossed his arms, scowling when she giggled again.

"What are you doing here anyways?"

She stopped laughing and smiled serenely.

"Just making sure that Japan's resident Godzilla hasn't destroyed Tokyo yet."

Tsukasa frowned at the comparison but nevertheless lay down beside his sister.

"You needn't have worried; I don't think I'm in shape to destroy anything right now."

He sighed and watched as his sister pulled out a single rose from behind her and placed it on his stomach.

"You're in love."

It wasn't a question. He sprung up, sending the rose flying.

"Huh? Me? The Almighty? In love?"

He scoffed, mentally wincing at the soft throb in his chest. No, he wasn't in love with that... No, he couldn't be in love. He had bigger problems to deal with.

"What's she like?"

"Who?"

"The girl you like?"

He got up off the bed and walked across the room, settling into the chair farthest from Tsubaki.

"I told you- I don't like anyone."

"My sources tell me otherwise..."

Tsukasa looked up, somewhat scared. Was his sister having him followed? If so had then had they seen what happened earlier with Makino and Rui?

"What sources?"

His voice was somewhat skeptical and he could've smacked himself- hard. He needed to control his tone around his sister- otherwise she would just leave back to the States leaving him to wonder who her source was.

"Let's call her S-chan for now; I don't trust you with any information because you're likely to hunt my source down and threaten them. Then where will I be?"

She gave another deceivingly serene smile and then leaned closer to him.

"So answer me: What's she like?"

Tsukasa stayed quiet; he wasn't going to answer because he wasn't in love and that was that.

"Judging by your silence she is either taken by one of your friends or just taken."

Tsukasa unconsciously winced at the former and Tsubaki's smile fell just a little. She shifted her weight uncomfortably then enveloped him in a hug.

"If I were you, I'd march over to her place, and tell her the truth. You never know, she might just choose you over Rui."

He pushed away from her and glared at her; so her source had seen the confrontation between him and Rui.

"What did your source see?"

"You walking through the zoo with a cute girl."

"And what makes you think that she's taken by Rui?"

Tsubaki smirked and tapped his forehead with her index finger.

"I've never seen you with such a serious face before Tsukasa.. If it were Akira or Sojiro, you would be at ease; Rui is the only one out of the bunch who take relationships seriously."

Tsukasa continued to glare at her; His sister was always so presumptuous when it came to his social life. He let the intensity of his glare drop just a bit, because this time his sister had hit the nail on the head. He was in love with a girl who loved his best friend- and there was nothing he could do about it.

* * *

Rui settled into his seat, lifting the armrest between him and Makino up so that she could lean on him, which she did. He smiled at the warmth radiating from her and not for the first time tonight was he glad that he had chosen her. The lights slightly dimmed and Rui wrapped an arm around her shoulder and then laid his head on top of hers, slightly mussing it which drew a jokingly irritated glance. He intertwined his fingers with hers and then looked up at the screen. All this felt so natural to him- as though he were Sojiro or Akira, with their plethora of experience. His heart beat somewhat faster than usual but he was sure that was because Makino was looking up at him, the cutest look on her face.

The movie started and with a wink towards his.. what was she? His date or his girlfriend? Before he could give it much thought, his attention was drawn to the slight buzzing in his pants pocket. He scowled, not wanting to ruin this moment for anything. He mentally shrugged; there were many things that he was unsure of, but that he loved Makino more than anything wasn't one of them.

* * *

"Goshuujin-sama, he is not picking up."

The red haired girl looked down, unsure of what was to follow. She had received orders from the master of the house to call the young master. She had called the young master, and his friends. His friends answered, but they claimed to not know where he was; Domyoji-sama hung up once the young master was mentioned.

"Call my assistant to me; I need to have a word with him."

Kieko winced visibly at her master's cold voice; he was always cold and unaffectionate, but he was always colder when it came to the young master. Kieko knew their relationship was strained, and she had a feeling in the very pit of her stomach that told her something big was going to happen in the Hanazawa household soon- and it wasn't going to be good.

"Hai, goshuujin-sama,"

* * *

Rui glanced at Makino for what seemed to be the umpteenth time; Makino had fallen asleep half an hour into the movie and he had to say, she was really cute asleep. Her entire face just seemed to glow with relaxation and that small furrow that formed between her brows when she was uncertain, confused or concerned seem to vanish and she looked younger.. more innocent if it was possible. He turned his attention back to the movie, which was slightly cheesy, when someone tapped his shoulder. His face turned to steel when he saw who it was.

"Bochamma, the master of your house requests your presence right away."

Rui stared at the man in front of him, coldness seeming to run through his veins. Of all the times that his father had to call on him!

"I'll be in later, my father will just have to wait till then."

The man, whom Rui vaguely remembered to be his father's assistant bowed formally and then made his way up the ramp that led to the exit of the theater. Makino stirred slightly, blinking sleepily and smiling confusedly at him.

"I fell asleep...?"

Rui just smiled in response and she laid her head back down onto his chest, sighing in contentment. Soon she was back asleep, Rui's smile becoming wider; he couldn't think of anything better than being Makino's personal pillow.

"R..rui.. suki..dai..yo.."

Rui's eyes widened and then became lidded with absolute happiness. He wrapped his arms around her and then leaned down to whisper in her ear; even if she was asleep, maybe just maybe his words would stay with her.

"I love you, Tsukushi.. more than life itself."

* * *

**-dramatic announcer voice- What will Tsukasa do? Who is this mysterious girl? And who is this 'S-chan'? Will Makino remember Rui's words? And what will happen with Rui and his dad- all this and more on the next chapter of -dramatic music- Call It Fate!**

**Yay another chapter D-O-N-E! Not as long as the last chapter, but I wrote this in the morning, during gym and after my homework here at home so yea.. but I will not break my streak of daily updates! I have the next chapter planned so it'll probably be up tomorrow around the same time (if not earlier) Soo.. Review?**


	7. Call It A Really Long Day

**Woot! Another update done! I am super happy, this fic reached 30 reviews! -squeals in joy- So once more I will thank those who have reviewed my little fic: Illuminating-Darkness, b . aka-chan, Jane and forever angel. Thank you guys for reviewing -picks up all four and squishes- **

**Illuminating-Darkness: I would tell you how I'm finding the time to write these chapters, but as I myself don't know how I'm doing it.. I can't tell you.. lol :0**

* * *

Rui stretched as he and Makino left the movie theater; after he told her that he loved her, nothing really happened- not that expected anything to, she was asleep after all. He looked around, searching for the face of anyone familiar; earlier in the night one of his dad's employees was following them, then shortly after their tail left his dad's assistant came to request his presence; this night was turning out interesting. Makino grabbed his hand as they walked out into the cold winter night and he wrapped his arm around her when she shivered. They walked towards his white Aston Martin and Makino clambered in gratefully. Rui smiled at her as he closed the door then scanned the area- no one he recognized. Maybe that girl earlier had made him paranoid... Rui got into the driver's seat as his phone went of for what seemed to be the thousandth time. Without even looking at who was calling, Rui answered the phone.

"What?"

"Hello Rui,"

Rui's blood turned to ice and he felt his eyes narrow in dislike.

"Hello father."

"Why did you not come when I bid you to?"

Rui started the car and began to drive out of the parking lot. Resentment made his usually calm face contort.

"Because Father, I am not one of your employees who run to do your every whim. I had an engagement and was NOT going to leave halfway through to have a pointless conversation!"

"Pointless? I highly doubt that. Drop off the girl and then come home. We have much to discuss."

Rui drove out to the highway, wanting nothing more than just to chuck the phone out the window.

"I'll get home when I get there."

Rui hung up and then turned to Makino who was looking at him with something like sadness on her face.

"What's wrong Makino?"

Makino just shook her head and then placed her hand over the hand that was on stick shift. His brow unfurrowed and his smile returned to its usual serenity. Only Makino could make his heart melt when it was completely made of ice.

* * *

Makino hugged Rui by, loving how his arms felt around her. Then she saw the look in his eyes, it was a look of dread and worry. Worry for her and dread for what lay in wait for him at home. He had already warned her not to go with any strange men, but it was still painfully obvious that he was worried. In a spur of boldness Makino tiptoed so she was his height (or at least taller than she currently was) and pressed her lips against his in reassurance. After all she was Makino Tsukushi, resident tough weed.

His hands wrapped around her back, and he broke the kiss to hold her to him tightly.

"Be careful Makino."

Then something occurred to said girl, which made her lips turn up into a coy smile.

"Tsukushi."

He let his grip loosen so he could look at her, confusion in his eyes.

"Call me Tsukushi."

**(a/n: refer to past chapter where Rui does the same thing-minus the kiss)**

His marble eyes began to glow, and a joy filled smile appeared on his lips before he pressed his lip to hers, the kiss full of unspoken emotion. All too soon he pulled away, and with a longing look got into his car.

"Ma- Tsukushi, I'll call you when I'm finished with my dad; will you be at work or is it your night off?"

Tsukushi smiled softly.

"It's my night off."

She began to ascend the stairs leading up to her apartment, waving to him. He waved back and in the blink of an eye he was driving away.

* * *

Tsukasa was irritated. His sister had left to meet with the hag, leaving him alone to ponder the meaning of love and what the hell he was going to do about Makino. He failed miserably with the former, and instead focused on Makino, though he wasn't having much progress with that either. Tsukasa reached into his pocket and was about to call Rui for advice when he remembered the crux to the situation; Rui wasn't going to talk to him- especially about Makino. Tsukasa's eyes widened; he had completely forgotten about Rui's meeting with the Shika chibi. How had it gone?

Tsukasa sat up on his elbows, shaking his head. It didn't matter how it had gone; the fact of the matter was that he'd gone against Rui(unconsciously) when he was his most vulnerable and lost at his own game. His only option now was to talk it out with the brat herself. Maybe Sojiro had her number..

* * *

Sojiro felt like he was on fire, Yuuki seemed to surround him, kissing his lips with ferocity he had previously thought impossible of the girl; hey even he was wrong sometimes.

"I love you."

His eyes widened; those words which were usually spoken to him only when the girls were in the throes of passion, were saturated with so much emotion he felt himself pulling her lips to his again, kissing her hard.

_"It's the Almighty, answer your phone Sojiro.. It's. The Almighty, answer your phone Soji-"_

Sojiro snatched up the phone, an expression of pure anger on his otherwise angelic face.

"What Tsukasa?!"

"Ah, Sojiro, I need the number of that Shika brat."

"You called me just for that?"

"Pretty much. Why do you sound mad?"

Sojiro hung up the phone.

* * *

Rui drove up to his house; it hadn't been his home since as long as he could remember- and even though his friends didn't quite understand it, there was a distinction. He took the keys out of the ignition and walked toward the foreboding white doors. At the door he was greeted by one of their maids, who was obviously new considering the eyes she was making at him. After he waved her off he made his way down the long main corridor to the room at the very end. He opened the door and stalked into the room, face already in its most frequently worn mask; the mask of neutrality. His father as usual was sitting in his overlarge chair, facing away from Rui.

"Hello Father."

"Ah, Rui. Do you care to explain to me why you didn't follow my orders."

Rui scoffed.

"I already answered that question during our phone call- I had an engagement."

"One more important that meeting with one's father?"

He didn't even hesitate.

"Yes."

"You were with a commoner."

"What of it?"

"You know how I feel Rui; as the successor of my company you must have the perfect wife."

"No Father, I was under the impression you have long since felt anything with that stone in your chest. As for the wife bit, I have already told you; I will not marry who you choose! There is no such thing as the perfect wife and I will not approach marriage in such a chauvinistic way!"

"Is that so? Well if you are so confident, why don't we subject your little commoner whore to a test then?"

Rui felt his fists clench in anger; Tsukushi was not a whore.

"She is not a whore."

"Oh my mistake then- how about it?"

Rui felt a sneer threaten to take over his expression but then pushed it down; he would not make Tsukushi's choices for her.

"I am not you Father; I don't make my girl's choices. This is the end of the discussion. I will no longer discuss my love life with you."

Rui shot the sumptuous leather chair a final look and stalked out of the room, not caring about the repercussions; he was going to call Tsukushi, spend the night at a hotel, see Tsukushi tomorrow and then figure everything else out. He had his priorities and damn his father to hell if the old geezer intended to interfere with them.

* * *

Tsukushi lay on her bed, looking down at her phone, waiting for Rui to call. He had left about an hour ago, and she found she couldn't get rid of the image of their parting;she didn't want to. She had never seen Rui's eyes filled with so much emotion- she had never wanted him to let her go. Tsukushi turned onto her bed, closing her eyes, a smile on her face. She had finally spent time with him, and had found him to be the purest person she had ever met. All throughout dinner he had made coy comments and had her alternately blushing and laughing hysterically. He had been the perfect gentleman, holding out her chair before the waiter could. They had gazed into each other's eyes for the longest time, the moment so intimate that the waiter was blushing and had to cough several times to gain their attention. Usually when she went on dates with guys, she was like every other girl- a salad and a glass of water. However Rui wouldn't have any of that and she had ordered a bowl of ramen with a side of rice. The flavor was so good she hadn't been able to stop herself from practically shouting 'Moishi!' Rui had chuckled but otherwise not said a word about it or shown any aversion to the way she acted; he accepted her, quirks and all.

But that hadn't been their only meeting in the entire week. He had gone to the club where she worked, and sat there talking to her when she was free and if there was a crowd, just read and occasionally looked up at her, a bemused expression on his face. Now here she was a week later, home from the most perfect date (well not including that part with Domyoji). All in all it had been a long, harrowing, but magical day.

_Knock, knock._

Tsukushi got up off her bed, practically running to the door; maybe Rui had forgone the phone call and decided to come in person; after all the way they had parted was excruciatingly hard, he had been so worried about her...

"Ru... i"

Standing in her doorway, was not her knight in white Armani, but Domyoji Tsukasa, resident evil wizard. She tried to close the door on him, but in a familiar move** (a/n:see past chapter to get what I mean..) **he wedged his shoe in the door way but Tsukushi was not going to fall for that again. She stuck her foot in the wedge in the door and stomped on his shoe- hard. He let out a groan of pain, but didn't move it.

"Please.. I just want to talk to you.. I couldn't get your eyes out of my head.. I want to know why! What spell did you cast on me!?"

He pushed on the door and Tsukushi knew she only had one option in this situation- call Rui and fast. He was the only one who could deal with Domyoji. Putting her body against the door and applying force, she rummaged in her pocket, extracting her cell phone which she had stuffed in there in her haste to answer the door. She scrolled down to Rui's name and pressed call, as her strength gave out and she went tumbling backwards, Domyoji tumbling forward in the sudden burst of inertia. Then the unthinkable happened. Just as Rui's soft voice murmured her name, he fell on top of her, and his lips pressed to her own.

* * *

**Aghh.. yet another shamelessly stolen scene from the drama(with my own twist though)! For those of you who have seen the 2nd season of Hana Yori Dango you what I'm talking about. Okay so this may be a bit rushed, but I like it; especially that middle part where they're saying buy. I just want to grab them both up and squish the hell out of them! Okay.. so seventh update in a row.. Review?**


	8. Call It An Interlude

**Yay! Another update, another dose of drama! Okay so I don't have much to say except my usual thanks to my reviewers! Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie (yay back to back reviews- I like received the emails at the same time so I was lol-ing all over the place), Jane, Spoutnik, b . aka-chan, forever angel!**

**Saranghae-Minnie: Idk why but I just love to imagine Tsukasa calling Sojiro for a number; it's priceless and yes.. Karma is a meanie! Lol but it serves Sojiro right- he did interrupt Tsukushi and Rui! Unlike Tsukasa (who completely fails at understanding girls) I think Rui's character would just kind of go with the flow and not question it too much- it's obviously over his head. (We are really uncomprehensible lol) About the part where Tsukasa screams, that was just like O-M-G -breaks down in hysterical laughter-Really Priceless! I think Godzilla does spit fire -imagines Tsukasa as Godzilla and begins to hyperventilate from laughter- Same here I really love Tsubaki~ Omigosh, I was lol-ing all throughout your reviews; they really make my day! (Oh and look foward to the end of the chapter!)**

* * *

Rui was just pulling out his phone to call Tsukushi when it began ringing. His frown dropped from his face as he answered.

"Tsukushi?"

There was silence on the other line and then high pitched squealing and a rather hard thump on the floor. What was going on?

"What was the meaning of that ,bitch?! How dare you dump me onto the floor?"

Tsukasa- what was he doing at Tsukushi's apartment? Rui did a U-turn and began driving towards Tsukushi's apartment, the embers of his fight with Tsukasa already being rekindled- it didn't matter why he was there, it couldn't be good.

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO CAME TO MY HOUSE! IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT THAT.. That..y-you.."

Rui clenched the phone harder in his hands; it sounded like Tsukushi was on the verge of tears. He pressed down on the gas pedal of his Aston Martin.

"Kissed you? Please~ That wasn't so much a _gift _as an _accident_! _You_ should be overjoy-"

Rui's eyes went wide and he nearly dropped the phone. Tsukasa kissed Tsukushi? Forcefully? He pressed down on the gas pedal even harder, feeling his blood boil in his very veins. His friend had crossed the line earlier when he had attempted to his Tsukushi, now if he was lucky maybe he'd escape this with one of his limbs. Rui heard a 'thump' and judging by the groaning that followed Tsukasa was probably on the floor, cursing Tsukushi's right hook.

"RUI!? Are you there?"

"Hn, I'm on my way. Tsukushi.... Did he hurt you?"

"Iie.. I was waiting for your call when I heard a knock so I thought you had come over to visit instead of call.. So I answered it.. And he was there.. And he tried forcing his way in, shouting something about my eyes and asking me what spell I cast on him.. I was freaked out and scared.. So I called you and then he pushed on the door hard.. And I fell.."

Rui's eyes widened. Could it be possible that Tsukasa had begun to discover feelings for Makino? Rui pulled up to the apartment complex just as Tsukasa was walking out of it, nursing a bruise on his face. Rui got out of the car; ever since they were children, Tsukasa had taken everything that Rui liked or yearned for, then slyly rubbed it in is face. Not this time- Rui was going to stand up for himself as well as Tsukushi!

Tsukasa walked up to him, an arrogant smile on his lips. Lips that looked like they caught most of the impact of that punch earlier. Rui put the phone up to his ear.

"I'll be right up; I have some business to deal with."

The line went dead just as Tsukasa reached him.

"You come to apologize?"

Rui couldn't stop the sneer this time.

"The days I apologize to you are gone _Domyoji_!"

"Rui.."

Rui let his right hook fly and Tsukasa stumbled backwards.

"I've had enough of being punched today!"

Tsukasa responded in kind with a right hook of his own but Rui dodged it and sent another punch in his general direction.

"You've had enough of being punched ? I've had enough of being pushed around! Ever since we were young Domyoji you've taken everything I wanted- not this time. "

Tsukasa stood in front of him, bloody lips and all.

"Look Rui, I figured out something after you left with Makino.. The reason I've been acting that way around her is because.. Because.."

"You love her? You sure have a funny way of showing it!"

Rui moved closer to Tsukasa, staring into cold dark orbs.

"If you love her, you'll leave. She doesn't want you around."

Tsukasa stared at him incredulously. Rui stared back, eyes telling his friend he was serious. Then without another word Tsukasa pushed by Rui, wiping a smear of blood from the corner of his lip.

"Rui! I'm not giving up on her."

Rui just ignored that and walked up the stairwell.

* * *

Tsukushi felt the heat on her face as a few stray tears ran down her cheeks out of anger. How dare that idiot force his way into her home, kiss her then have the audacity to yell at_ her_? That was just messed up. Tsukushi stood by the doorway, waiting for Rui to come up.

"Tsukushi."

She turned around and saw his soft smile was in it's usual place. She walked slowly towards him and was enveloped in the sanctity of his lithe arms.

"It's okay.. Tsukasa won't be back for a while.. Meanwhile I'd like to ask a favor."

"What is it?"

"Can I stay here the night? I had planned to stay at a hotel because of the fight I got into with my dad, but.. I'd feel more at ease if I were with you.."

Tsukushi couldn't believe what she was hearing. Hanazawa Rui stay at her house? She couldn't stop the smile from coming up on its own.

* * *

Tsukasa walked up to the doorway of his house and rubbed his left cheek, which felt as though it was beginning to bruise.

"Okairi, Domyoji-bochamma."

Tsukasa turned to look at who was up at like 12 at night; it was his mother's secretary, Nishida.

"What do you want?"

The balding man fixed his tie.

"Your mother asked me to tell you that the heir to the Shika group wishes to make a meeting with you for tomorrow."

Tsukasa's eyes widened. The Shika chibi wanted to meet with him?

"Did she leave her number?"

In response Nishida handed him a small slip of paper.

"She requested you go to her place of work tomorrow at 10 AM."

Tsukasa looked at the paper, somewhat in shock. Had Rui kept his promise and ruined his relationship with that little brat even further?

* * *

Rui lay on the spare mattress, looking up at the stark white ceiling. Makino had helped him bring up his suitcases (one full of clothes and other necessities and the other one with books) and violin case, against his wishes of course. He smiled. He was quickly learning that Tsukushi was he only boss, but not in the annoying way like Tsukasa- cuter and less hard headed. After setting up his bed, Tsukushi had all but fallen onto the bed, utterly exhausted; that had been three hours ago and Rui still couldn't go to sleep. He sighed and got up from the warmth of the white covers and grabbed his violin case.

* * *

Tsukushi was floating on a white cloud, utterly at peace- which was very welcome considering that the day had been so long it had seemed like it was several put together in one. Then the music started; It was soft and sweet, slow like a bubbling brook and filled with so much emotion that Tsukushi found herself smiling in joy. She had never heard violin being played so well. Colors flowed one right into another right in front of her eyes, fluctuating like the notes. Tsukushi laid back on the white cloud, watching her personal multicolored aurora Borealis. Somewhere in the middle of it all she fell asleep and the next thing she knew she was blinking her eyes blearily in the moonlight streaming in from her one bay window. She sat up on her bed, and saw Rui standing in the moonlight, practically glowing in his white pajamas. She got up quietly from her bed and walked over to him, losing her train of thought in the sound of his music. The piece reached its crescendo and then fell to a soft murmur once more.

"That was beautiful."

Rui turned around, a look of surprise on his face; it was apparent that didn't know anyone was listening to him.

"A-arigato.."

Even in the moonlight Tsukushi could tell there was a soft blush on his pale skin; she had to grin- this was the closest she had ever seen him to embarrassed. She had seen him happy, worried and angry- but never embarrassed. She moved forward and hugged him from behind and she noticed something- he was more than a head taller than her. That thought alone made her feel small and dainty- her, Makino Tsukushi, the tough weed felt dainty of all things. And so there they stood in an embrace, both slightly flushed, but otherwise ethereal visions of white.

* * *

Tsukasa walked into the café, dressed to the teeth. He tried to keep up his usual arrogant demeanor, but he was too nervous to even do that. It's not that he cared if the hag found out, which she hadn't. It was merely because he was going to inherit and he didn't want to run a third rate company. He stood at the front, waiting for someone to seat him.

"Welcome Domyoji Tsukasa-kun!"

He jumped at the creepy voice from behind him and turned around to see it was none other than the Shika chibi, who didn't look like she'd come to work, but rather to go on a date. He gulped; she did look cute. Her fray of curls was pulled back in an elegant yet messy twist, she wore a black suspender skirt with a blood red ruffled button down short sleeve. He smirked; how she had ended up as a match for Rui, whose innocence was so advanced that a ten year old was more corrupt than he was, he would never know. She wore her black rim glasses, which finished off her elegant but dark outfit; she looked like an representative for some goth store.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!"

She laughed.

"What? Is Mr. Big-time Heir scared of a _little thing _like me?"

Her mocking tone did nothing to further his patience, which was always practically nonexistent.

"Oy chibi, don't act as though you're above me!"

"Don't call me that you duncical fool!"

"What'd you just call me?"

"I called you an idiot!"

"Did you just call me here to insult me?"

That seemed to somber up the overly disrespectful chibi, much to Tsukasa's chagrin. He hadn't even sat down yet and he was already messing things up.

"Let's go for a walk."

"Eh?"

It caught Tsukasa off guard, he thought that they were just going to sit down at the café and talk business. If he had known that they were going to walk he wouldn't have worn his jeans under the thick fabric of the suit!

"Hold on. I'll be back."

And so he made his escape to the the men's room.

* * *

Manda heaved a sigh and sat down in one of the plush chairs that lined the front of the café, smoothing her skirt just a bit. She hadn't meant to start off the date like that. But she just couldn't help herself- after all Tsukasa looked adorable when he got flustered. He probably hadn't noticed it himself, being the dense idiot he was, but his eyes had all but popped out when he caught sight of her. As her mother always said, follow the way of the peacocks- stun your love interest by looking good. She heaved a heavy sigh- if she were being honest she'd admit to herself that she was nervous. This was her first date; she should have at least gone on a practice date with some loser from that club she visited Makino at. Surprisingly she liked the club, even though she really didn't like partying. What's more she had been offered countless drinks and invitations to hotels- she had turned them all down by hiding behind her age. After all she had just turned twenty, but that didn't stop her from going after a man almost five years her senior.

* * *

"What did you want to talk about?"

Tsukasa was confused just to say the least; He had followed the brat to Ebisu Garden, the place where his life had begun getting shot to hell. He had even followed her all the way into the park so she could sit in the middle of the statue, and throughout it all she hadn't said a single word, which gave him this utterly foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach. Manda looked up at him, swinging her legs idly so that only the heels touched the stone of the statue.

"Rui went to plead your case to me yesterday."

Tsukasa watched her, mesmerized. She looked somber and somewhat calm from her perch, but he didn't understand why.. Hadn't Rui told her everything that happened.

"Even after you did what you did to him, he asked me to please give you another chance. That arrogance was your one weakness and that you felt bad about what happened at the cafe."

Tsukasa nodded, somewhat grudgingly; damn Rui for putting words in his mouth. He didn't actually feel bad at all about what happened; and he wasn't arrogant- he _was just better_ than everyone else and deserved to be treated as such.

"You know, Tsukasa, I was at Eitoku also. But I was a first year after you graduated, so I never got a chance to meet you... But then one day you dropped by the school to eat at that little section you and the rest the F4 built and I knew..."

Tsukasa definitely did _not _like where this was going.

".. that were an idiot."

Manda chuckled softly and Tsukasa glared at her though he had to admit that he was relieved; for a second there he was sure that she was going to say that she-Just then Manda jumped off the statue, lightly landing on her feet, then in an unexpected development pulled him down into a searing kiss. Tsukasa's eyes widened and then she let his head go.

"Let me make you a deal; if you date me for a week, I'll forget all the _awful, atrocious _things you've done thus far to both me and Makino!"

She smiled and Tsukasa felt as though steam would blow out of his ears at any moment. This damn.. damn brat! She thought she could get anything she want by just flaunting what little influence she had!

"What the hell does Makino have anything to do with this?"

"Everything Tsukasa, everything; she is the entire reason you were there at the cafe wasn't she?"

"No! I was there because I was worried about Rui! And don't act so familiar with me; it's Domyoji-sama to you!"

"There's the crux _Tsukasa_; you were worried over Rui, because of _her._ Therefore she is as much a part of this as I am; the way I figure it, is that while I'm redeeming myself I might as well redeem her as well!"

"But by dating me?"

She just shrugged.

"Would you rather I have my men come beat you to a pulp? I didn't think so, and so as an alternative I came out with this; what better way to learn your lesson than spending a week with someone as presumptuous as yourself?"

Tsukasa glowered at her and considered the alternative; there wasn't any guarantee that he would win against her forces, seeing as the Shika family also had deep roots in the martial arts community. If he lost against her men then that would be just insult added to injury.

"After a week this is all over?"

"Absolutely. It will be as though I fell on my head and forgot everything; date me for a week, and I will forget your insulting me."

Tsukasa looked at the pixie like girl- he didn't know what she had planned, but he couldn't do anything but agree at this point, so he nodded. With a devious grin, Manda grabbed up his hand and proceeded to drag him down the street.

* * *

Rui bustled about the kitchen, every so often looking towards Tsukushi who was still asleep; after that small interlude they had when he was playing his violin, neither had been able to go back to sleep and it was only until the wee hours of the morning that both drifted off into a light sleep. It was already one though and his internal clock had screamed bloody murder at him; he never slept that late, which coupled with his nocturnal nature accounted for his frequent naps. He yawned and ran his fingers through his hair, while pouring a cup of orange juice into an over sized blue plastic cup with a pattern of a butterfly on it. He drank down the sweet juice and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He looked around Tsukushi's apartment. To other's who didn't know her well, the decor of the rooms would seem almost impersonal, and drab, but to him, they had more warmth than his father's entire mansion put together.

"Ohayoooooooooo~"

Tsukushi walked into the living room yawning and stretching when Rui noticed something. She was dressed in only an over sized shirt and in her drowsiness she hadn't noticed that every time she stretched the shirt rode above her legs giving him a full view of her underwear. Rui promptly looked away, a blush already forming on his face. He had dated many a girl, and many a girl he had turned down when they wanted to take things _'somewhere more private'_. He didn't have much in the way of personal morals, but that was one of them. He would not bed a woman, unless he knew they were serious. And taking advantage of Tsukushi's unawareness that he could see her underwear would not help him in his mission at all.

"Why are you all red? You look like your embarrassed."

He didn't dare look around even though he knew by her yawn that she was stretching again; he would not succumb to his urge to just take a small peek.

* * *

"Tsubaki-sama there has been another development."

A girl dressed in a black ninja outfit walked into the spacious room where Tsubaki Domyoji sat in a chair looking out a window.

"Yes Saranghae?"

Said girl smiled and pulled off the bottom part of her mask so she could speak without her voice being muffled.

"Manda has already begun her plan, just like you said she would. Though Tsukasa acted very differently than what you anticipated."

Tsubaki smiled and turned to her most trusted advisor- Mizuki Saranghae.

"Change out of those clothes first and then we can talk, I know those things must be uncomfortable."

Saranghae beamed and almost skipped out of the room. Tsubaki smiled to herself; she knew that Manda Shika had loved her brother even before she had became Rui's fiancée. During one of her short visits to Japan, Tsubaki had happened upon a girl who sat in the stairwell of Eitoku Gakuen and had looked over her shoulder; to her surprise the darkly clad girl had scribbled her name combined with Tsukasa's all over her notebook and had a dreamy smile as she sketched a surprisingly realistic sketch of Tsukasa glaring out at the general public- without even a picture as reference. Needless to say Tsubaki had been surprised when the girl resurfaced as Rui's bride to be and when she received news of this, her heart had hurt for the girl, who was obviously unhappy with Rui, whose innocent and calm demeanor seemed unsuited towards the girl whose attitude was fiery and whose very stance seemed to scream 'sarcasm'.

Saranghae reentered the room, her sandy hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and dressed casually in a t-shirt and jeans. She sat down without preamble across from Tsubaki who with a kind smile on her face motioned for her to continue from where she left off.

"Did Tsukasa yell or have a fit?"

"No! He did speak to her kind of harshly- but I think that's because Manda brought up Makino's part in this entire thing. Oh and there was another development as well yesterday; Tsukasa experienced his first kiss!"

Saranghae 'squee-ed' a bit but then sobered up when she saw Tsubaki's look of utter shock.

"Let me guess Makino?"

Saranghae nodded knowingly.

"Does Rui know?"

"He was on the phone when it happened. He didn't know what happened at first but Tsukasa didn't know that Makino called him and practically shouted it out! The neighbors above Makino were like 'Dear, who is that madman on the floor underneath us?!' This is better than any drama I've ever watched! And then the old woman got on the floor and tried her hardest to hear what was going on!"

Saranghae began laughing at the memory and Tsubaki had to join in. The image of an old woman trying to listen in on the fight going on below her was priceless. Then an idea struck Tsubaki and she smiled as she turned to her advisor/spy.

"Saranghae I have another job for you.. Come here.."

Both girls huddled together and Tsubaki began whispering her plan into the girl's ear; there was an unmistakable glint in both their eyes as they mentally agreed on one thing; the next few days would be _very _interesting.

* * *

**-Dramatic voice- Will Tsukasa last the week with Manda? Will Rui and Tsukushi's peaceful time be interrupted by Tsubaki's plan? What is Tsubaki's plan? And where are Rui's dad and Tsukasa's mom during all this? All this and more next time on -dramatic music- Call It Fate!**

**Eighth update in a row! I think that this might span out to around twenty chapters.. so yea.. I have an idea of what's going to happen next but my muse is being naughty and has run off with my mental pencil -chases after muse- So until tomorrow.. Review?**


	9. Call It A Filler

**Gomen! I (against my will) have broken my streak of daily updates! :( To top it all off I really don't like this chapter because it seems very fillerish to me.. -sigh- I will make no excuse but I will thank those who reviewed on my last chapter : Jane, Spoutnik, b . aka-chan, forever angel, Saranghae-Minnie, and Illuminating-Darkness. **

"What the hell is this?"

Tsukasa stared at the paper in his hands. His eyes were narrowed at the girl in front of him, who was sitting crossed legged in a high backed leather chair. After that little episode in the park, the chibi's driver had picked them up and driven them to the chibi's mansion- which to his surprise was not her family's mansion, but her mansion. That she had bought with her money- and she was barely out of college. After that shock she had dragged him to meeting room and handed him a thick sheaf of papers. Which brought him back to now.

"They are your rules for the next week. You have to follow them to a 'T' or the deal is off. "

Tsukasa looked down at the paper. Manda picked her copy up and began to read from it.

"You will not refer to yourself as the Almighty. You will not hit anyone, even if they deserve it. You will not call me 'chibi' or 'brat'. You will not act arrogant at inappropriate moments. You will follow my every order as if it meant life or death. If you follow these rules, then at the end of the week your free to go!"

Tsukasa stared at the girl in utter hatred. He was Domyoji Tsukasa future owner of the Domyoji Group!

"And if I don't?"

"Then Tsukasa-kun you and I will be seeing quite a lot of each other, but not under such friendly terms."

* * *

"Tsu-ku-shi."

Tsukushi turned around to see Rui holding up the keys to his car. She finished putting on her tie and then grabbed his hand. It had been two days since Rui's fight with his dad, and slowly but surely Tsukushi and Rui had fallen into a comfortable pattern. She would go to work at eight then work until three, and Rui would go with her and keep her company until he drove her home, then they'd go home and watch a movie or something until they fell asleep (both times she had fallen asleep curled into Rui on the couch)

Tsukushi smiled up at Rui and then he leaned down making her blush. She closed her eyes expecting a kiss but then opened her eyes when she felt him adjusting her tie. He could be such a tease. Once he finished with that, he smiled and kissed her softly, intertwining his hand again with hers.

"You're going to be late if we don't go now.."

Tsukushi shot him a playful look and leaned up as though to kiss him, but then sidestepped him so that he almost fell forward. She laughed as Rui tried to regain his balance and she noticed too late the devious smile he had on his face. Before she knew it he had her pinned up against a wall, knee between her legs and holding her wrists above her with one of his hands.

"Wh- huh?"

Tsukushi squirmed slightly as a red flush worked its way up her face. Rui smiled a dark smile and kissed his way up her neck, nipping at her skin every now and then; he finished with a kiss to her lips. He let go of her hands and she slid down the wall, her legs feeling like jelly. She looked up at Rui, her thoughts going in circles- the main one being that she had to tease Rui more often.

* * *

Rui sat at the bar as usual, book in hand while Tsukushi made drinks for the rush of customers. He couldn't help but smile- she looked cute when she was rushing around for the drinks; Tsukushi was good at what she did, making several drinks at once and still managing to entertain the crowd.

"Come on Tsukasa!"

Rui turned slowly when he heard a somewhat familiar voice. Then he saw them: Tsukasa was walking with Manda, and he looked like he was ready to kill himself. And then Rui saw why- Manda had on her smuggest smile and was leading Tsukasa by a leash attached to his wrist.

"Ne,Tsukasa go buy me a drink and be quick about it!"

Tsukasa groaned and looked around for another bartender and Rui scowled; only Tsukushi was at the bar.

"Tsukasa _,the Almighty_ is waiting!"

Rui was holding back a flood of laughter as he watched a vein literally appear on Tsukasa's forehead. He didn't know why Tsukasa was putting up with this, but Rui certainly was enjoying the entertainment aspect of it.

* * *

Tsukasa wanted nothing more than not to be here. Ever since he began 'dating' Manda, all she had done was order him around. He had to get her tea, run her bath, order her food, carry her bags, and today when he had tried to hide from her in his temporary residence in her home, she had went out and bought a leash which was then attached to his left hand wrist and then attached to her wrist; it was humiliating. And now she was taking it to a new level; she was making him talk to Makino, who hadn't answered his calls since the incident; to make matters worse was that Rui sat there like some sort of white guard dog! Was Manda looking to make him have a fight? He could feel Manda's stare boring holes in back, so he walked forward, steeling himself for what was to come.

"One raspberry tea with coke mixed in on the rocks."

He felt utterly ridiculous; why couldn't Manda just be like every other girl and just get wasted. But instead no, she just kept on making him order ridiculous things for her; tea, water, soda! How old was she? Three?!Makino didn't acknowledge that she heard him, but nevertheless grabbed a tall glass with a can of coke. Her movements were so fluid that it was as though she was a dancer who had practiced her routine again and again. She began preparing Manda's drink as well as two martinis and a complicated mixer. Makino had to give Tsukasa a pointed glance for him to slap down a five and then grudgingly take childish drink to the unrelenting slave driver, who seemed to think she owned his very soul. Tsukasa looked around the floor as Manda was nowhere in sight... Maybe she had gotten kidnapped and would be taken across international waters? He shook his head; that would be too convenient. Then he spotted her, with the worst possible person she could've picked to talk to; Tsubaki. Feeling as though he was treading on ice he braced himself and walked over to the chattering girls.

* * *

Rui smiled when Makino bid her boss goodbye. Today she only had half a shift, considering that due to the club's over-the-age-of-24-bartenders-are-not-allowed-to-work-here policy Tsukushi had to find a new place of work. He had tried to use his influence to get the owner of the club to make an exception to that particular rule, but as it were the owner was his father and as soon as he'd discovered that Rui had hightailed it out of the waiting room. He was not going to go ask his fathers for any favors, especially right now. Rui was having second thoughts about inheriting his father's business; after all how could he ask Tsukushi to live a life where she'd be looked down at with disapproval just because of her roots? He couldn't do that to her- he wouldn't. Rui closed his book and pulled out that day's newspaper, scanning it as he walked towards Tsukushi who was chatting with one of her usual customers. Then he spotted it. The cafe where he and Tsukushi had gone to on their first date was looking for part time help. He smiled and then walked over to Tsukushi not caring that Tsukasa was staring at him ,with something akin to anger in his eyes, from across the room. He came up behind her, hugging her and resting his chin on her head.

"Tsu-ku-shi."

She turned around in his arms and beamed up at him; it made his heart throb faster and even though he knew he was teasing Tsukasa a bit, he couldn't help but pull Tsukushi up in a heart stopping kiss. He shouldn't have to tread on glass just because his ex-best friend was in love with the same girl he was. The fact of the matter was that Tsukushi was his, and he saw her first.

* * *

**Once more- EPIC FAIL. Dislike this chapter in the extreme.. but anyways I ask- Review?**


	10. Call It the Last Straw

**Happy Easter minna-san! Wow, can't believe I'm on barely on chapter 10 and already there are 46 reviews- that is the most reviews I've gotten over the course of what- two weeks? You guys are just plain awesome! Thanks go out to: b . aka-chan, Saranghae - Minnie, and SanyoshoSanjira. -gives them Rui shaped chocolates- I wouldn't have written today if I hadn't read your alls reviews!**

**Saranghae-Minnie: You're welcome! Yea, FF is retarded that way, it'll randomly delete things off of reviews (and sometimes stories) so I can completely sympathize as it has happened to me before.. And yea I had been wondering what 'pilfered whole paragraphs meant' lol. Lol I was like laughing: Makino really doesn't realize how much she teases Rui does she? Lol :D As per always I was like 'Yay!' when I saw your review and I hope you like this chapter!**

* * *

"Yo."

Makino stared in confusion as she sat across from the last person she thought managed the cafe where Yuuki worked; Manda Shika. Her wild hair now had greenish streaks and she wore a pretty blue blouse and jeans; hardly the attire that you'd associate with the manager of a popular cafe.

"Shika-san.. I didn't know you were the manager of this cafe..."

She let out a soft chuckle which had Makino's instant attention.

"Nani?"

"I own this place; I have ever since it opened five years ago!"

Makino stared at the girl; hadn't she said she had just turned twenty? That meant...

"You started this cafe when you were fifteen?!"

Makino stared in utter disbelief as the wily girl nodded. Tsukushi was highly doubting that there wasn't anything this girl couldn't do... In any case she wanted to work here. The pay was good, Yuuki worked here.. and the hours were better, though that aspect she would have to get used to.

".... as you can see we are very busy during this season, and considering that spring is coming, we will be even more busy. I'd like you to begin right away if you could."

Damn! She had missed out on half of what her new boss was saying to her because she was marveling at the change her life was taking. She had everything she could've wanted- plus drama, which she didn't want. Tsukushi got up and bowed gratefully, taking the black and red apron and then tying it around her waist. Then she stopped.

"No uniform?"

"None at all; I find them stupid and oppressive."

Tsukushi nodded and was about to move exit the room when she felt Manda tug her apron string.

"Ne, can you ask Rui to help out, for today only? There's a client that is holding a party here in a bit and two of my usuals, including Yuuki, called in sick today."

Tsukushi nodded as she fought off a smirk; yea her friend was sick all right- love sick. Tsukushi hadn't been able to be in the presence of the new couple for more than an hour; after that tenuous time limit, the POD (public display of affection) level rose to nauseating high. And so she and Rui made their escape. Makino walked out of the office and into the large but crowded cafe. The room itself seemed hectic but the atmosphere was electric; as though some special force was in the air. She turned, searching for a specific red head, when the lights went out. She felt his big hands covering her eyes, and her mouth curved up in a smile. Boy she was going to have the _hardest_ time guessing who was behind her.

"Hmmm.. lemme guess.. Rui?"

The hands flew away and with a smirk on his face, Rui leaned over her and pressed his lips to hers.

"How'd you guess?"

She laughed and then was about to kiss him again, when someone coughed somewhat loudly in passing; Tsukushi smirked in amusement when she caught sight of Manda's retreating form. It made sense; she did have work to do after all.

"Rui, Manda wanted you to help out for today? What do you think ?"

She held out the spare apron in her hand, presenting it for him to see and to her immense joy nodded.

"I'll see you on our break."

She smiled even wider and made her way to the front; there was no one there to greet the customers.. Or so she thought. As walked around the podium she saw Domyoji, sitting on the floor in a white dress shirt and charcoal pants, an apron over the ensemble. He had his head in his hand and looked extremely homicidal, most likely due to the fact that he had something akin to a house arrest bracelet on his wrist, in place of his usual expensive watch. Seeing her shadow, he looked up at her and then that idiotic grin came over his otherwise angry face.

"Ahh... Yo!"

He scrambled to his feet, much to Tsukushi's displeasure and stumbled slightly in his haste. That stupid grin.. He smiled what she assumed was his idea of a charming smile and leaned on the podium, trying to look casual- needless to say he failed terribly and made a stack of menus fall to the floor.

"You started working here?"

She nodded as she crouched down, picking up the menus. She had no reason to talk to Domyoji; ever since day one he had insulted her and acted like an idiot in general.. And from Rui's sleep talking she was beginning to get the feeling that something completely different than hatred was beginning to form in the cockles of what was left of his heart. He crouched down too and picked up the last menu, using it as a thinly disguised excuse to stare into her eyes. Tsukushi blinked indifferently and began to get up only to be pulled back down by her wrist.

"What th- Domyoji, unlike you I have to _work _for a living; let me go!"

Her whispered protest however was ignored and she began to get anxious when a blush started creeping up Domyoji's cheeks. What the hell was going on with this guy?

"Makino.. I have to tell you something..."

"Look, if it doesn't have the phrase 'I'm sorry for being such am ass' then I don't want to hear it!"

"You don't have to work.. if you were with me.. then.."  
Tsukushi's eyes widened; she ripped her hand out of his. This guy just didn't get it.  
"Idiot! Understand this because I am _not_ going to repeat myself. I _love _Rui- not you. Get that into your thick skull. Besides, as much as you are sure that I am only with Rui because of his money, you're wrong. I am not going to be bought off!"

Tsukushi gathered some menus and went to the side entrance. The traffic over there was starting to overwhelm the single waitress that was taking care of it, and Tsukushi was tired of listening to Domyoji's idiocies.

* * *

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Tsukasa, it's against the rules to brood on the job."

"Screw the rules."

Manda crouched down, wrapping her arms around her knees and balancing herself on the balls of her feet. She sighed loudly.  
"I can't believe the day after tomorrow is the last day we get to be together."

"I can. A week with you has only taught me that small girls with curly hair are more than likely dictators in disguise."

"Is that really all you learned?"

"Pretty much."

Manda stared at him in silence; she had given up a lot by doing this. He hated her now.. but if that made him a better person.. She shook her head sadly. He hadn't gleaned anything from this experience. He hadn't seen that everything she made him do- with the exception of the wrist collar- were things he ordered his servants to do for him on a daily basis.. Manda sighed again and then got up, dusting her knees off.

"Ne, Tsukasa.. would you ever fall for a girl like me?"

He turned to glare at her, an incredulous expression on his face. Manda realized it was a stupid question.

"Guess I don't compare to Makino.. do I?"

"Nobody can compare to Makino."

Manda felt her eyes begin to tear up and she turned around abruptly, trying her best to not sound like his words affected her; she was Manda Shika, heir to the Shika group, persistent and strong. He would not see her cry.

"Anyway it's closing time; call the limo and wait for me outside. We'll get the inside cleaned up."

She walked away, not checking to see if he even paid attention to her; she didn't even make it to her office before a salty tear made its way down her cheek.

* * *

Makino hung up her apron, wiping her forehead and smiling at the clean cafe. The chairs were on top of the spotless tables and Rui was just finishing up the floor; the rest of the staff had hightailed it after their watches struck six, leaving her, Rui and this strangely silent girl named Saranghae to clean up the cafe. She smiled at her boyfriend and then feeling the heat of her exertion spike, she decided to wait outside in the nice breeze. Spring was coming and she absolutely loved it. She opened the door, taking one more glance at Rui, who was trying his hardest to make the floor whiter than his usual outfit; he had the cutest furrow between his brows.... Then she was pulled outside. Tsukushi let out a soft yelp and stumbled into a pair of unfamiliar arms. When she looked up at the person, she resisted the urge to rip them off. When would Domyoji get the picture. SHE. WAS. NOT. INTERESTED! She pulled out of his grasp and stared petulantly at him.

"I already told you; I love RUI! Why can't you understand that?"

Domyoji smoothed his hair back and then stuck his hands in his pockets -forever playing the cool man.

"Because I love you."

"No you're not! I can tell- guys like you are only ever in love with _themselves_. You're only in love with the idea of loving me!"

Tsukushi moved away from him to wait at the curb, but heard his footsteps following her so she stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, turning to face him.

"Stop following me!"

He stalked forward and pulled her to him.

"I am in love with you; why can't you just accept that?"

"Because I am in love with Rui."

She pushed him away and tried to walk away again, when he grabbed her shoulders.

"Don't leave me! I'm trying to talk to you."

"Theres nothing to talk about."

She turned and began heading back to the café.

"MAKINO!"

She continued walking, not caring that she was getting shoved around in the after work crowd that clogged up the sidewalk. All that mattered was getting away from Domyoji. She felt her wrist being pulled back and she tried to break his grip when two things happened: she got pulled back by Domyoji which caused her to stumble backwards into him, and someone pushed past him, causing her to lose her balance and tumble off the sidewalk and into the street. She barely had any time to register anything except the roaring honk of the bus hurtling toward her.

* * *

Rui was hanging up his apron when he felt a soft tug on the back of his shirt.

"What's up Manda?"

He turned around to see her standing there, her head hung and eyes red. His eyes widened. It took a lot to make her cry.

"What did Tsukasa say?"

It had been obvious to Rui ever since the moment they met that Manda didn't love him- she loved Tsukasa, and apparently that hadn't changed over the four years they hadn't talked. She just shook her head and rushed at him, crying softly. He hugged her softly and just held her. From his experience with her (no matter how long ago) Manda just had to cry these things out. He looked up from her, searching for Tsukushi.. She had just been by the door a minute ago..

Rui's eyes widened as he looked out the glass. He let go of Manda and bolted for the door. Makino had just fallen into the street, straight into the path of an oncoming bus.

"TSUKUSHI!!!"

He ran towards her as she screamed. Then the bus hit her. She went flying with the force, and Rui barely registered the tears running down his usually stoic face. _Tsukushi, Tsukushi, Tsukushi.. _He reached her limp form and knelt by her, tears falling down to the black asphalt. Her eyes were closed but she was breathing. As he yelled for someone to call an ambulance, one pulled up and before he knew it, he and Makino were speeding away to a hospital.

* * *

Rui sat next to Tsukushi, holding her limp hand in his. Where was the doctor? In the ambulance the paramedics had said there hadn't been an enough force to do much internal damage, but there was a chance that the blow to the head had done some damage to the brain.. But that they'd have to wait till the doctor ran some tests. That had been an hour ago and still no results. Rui turned to look at Tsukushi, whose eyes were shut and jaw was slack, her face peaceful.

"Please be okay.. Tsukushi... I can't bear to lose you... Please be okay.."

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers, praying to whatever God ran this world that she was okay. If Makino were gone.. There'd be nothing for him to live for...

"Hanazawa-san?"

He looked up and saw an elderly woman holding papers in her hand.

"I'm the attending physician, Jinko-sensei. I just wanted to let you know that there is no brain or internal damage, just a few scrapes , some cracked ribs, and there is some bruising of the muscle but nothing too serious. Makino-san is very lucky- I've seen patients in similar accidents, and a lot of them weren't as lucky as she was. Coincidentally, you don't know how this came about do you?"

Rui shook his head. He had only seen where she'd fallen into the street. How had she fallen? Had she been pushed? Just then he felt a slight movement on the bed and turned around. He smiled in relief as Tsukushi blearily blinked her eyes.

"Rui?.. Where am I?"

"Daifuku Hospital."

"Oh yeah.. I lost my balance.. And fell into the street.. Wait!"

She sat up abruptly and winced. She looked around the room.

"Where's Domyoji? It's his fault that I'm here in the first place!"

She winced again and Rui softly laid her down.

"What do you mean?"

"He was trying to convince me that he 'loves' me and when I was walking away he grabbed my wrist and pulled back. I lost my balance and then someone jostled me and the next thing I knew I was in the street."

Rui felt his hands clench as his vision took on a heady shade of red. Tsukasa.. All he had done lately was hurt everyone in his pursuit of Tsukushi! Why couldn't he just leave them be?! When would he stop?! When Makino was in a casket? Rui stood up abruptly and walked over to the door, opening it.

"Ru-"

"Tsukushi, I'm going to make sure he never hurts you again. I promise you, from this moment on, he'll never bother you again."

He threw open the door and felt a feral grin come up to his face. Tsukasa stood in the doorway, poised to knock. After what he'd done, he had the audacity to come to Tsukushi's hospital room. Rui didn't even think as he raised his arm to punch Tsukasa; the curly haired boy didn't even try to resist. Rui let the anger take over him and before he knew it, Tsukasa lay on the floor, lip bleeding and a black eye forming.

"I don't ever want to see you again Tsukasa. If you so much as come close to Tsukushi, I won't hold back."

Rui bent down and picked up Tsukasa by the scruff of his shirt and threw him out into the hall. He couldn't bear to look at the heir to the Domyoji group any longer.

"Rui.."

The red tinge instantly vanished at the sound of her voice and he slumped into the chair he'd been occupying earlier.

"Are you sure about.. What you said right now?"

"Tsukasa crossed a line- he could've killed you! Even the doctor said it- you were lucky that the bus slowed down somewhat.. Otherwise.. You would have a lot more to deal with than just minor injuries. If something had gone wrong.. And you never woke up... I can't stand the thought of losing you.."

He climbed onto the side of the bed, hugging Tsukushi carefully but close to him, fighting tears.

"I love you Tsukushi.. There is nothing that will change that.. And if you die then I'll follow you.. Because there is no meaning to my world without you."

* * *

**Le-gasp~ -cue the dramatic voice over- What will happen to Tsukasa? Will Rui ever forgive Tsukasa? What will happen next? And where did my chocolate bunny go?! All this and more in chapter eleven of -dramatic fanfare- Call it Fate! -finds chocolate bunny and bites ear off- Review?**


	11. Call It War

**OFJIFENFIENFIFAEKFEF -stops to catch breath- OMIGOSH! 50 reviews~ I love you all! -hands every person who reads this a Rui doll- Thanks go out to: H2OMeloN4eva, b . aka-chan, Spoutnik and Saranghae- Minnie!**

**Saranghae-Minnie: lol yes you are eavesdropping on them; well im updating from school -glances back nervously- so Ill reply properly to your review later.. lub your review as always Gomen~**

* * *

Tsukasa sat in a hard chair that was in the lobby of the hospital. He felt dead inside. He hadn't defended himself from Rui because nothing could make him feel worse than he already did. Because of _him _had almost died. He didn't care that she escaped with only some almost died. He deserved to be hated by Rui; it was a fact that Rui couldn't hate him more than he hated himself... Maybe he should give up on Makino.. All he had caused her was trouble.. Maybe Makino had been right.. Maybe he was only in love with the idea of loving her..?

"You're wrong Tsukasa.."

He looked up, clenching his fists. He wasn't in the mood for his sister's games. How the hell did Tsubaki even know what was going on?

"You're face is like an open book Tsukasa; you should take lessons from Rui."

At the mention of his non-friend Tsukasa felt his heart slow.. He had lost his closest friend and there was nothing he could do about. Time wouldn't heal things; it would just estrange them even more. Rui had the girl he loved and the freedom to do what he would, while all he had was an empty mansion and a ruthless legacy; and there was nothing, absolutely nothing he could do.

* * *

Rui sat on the window, gazing out at the beautiful day- it didn't match his mood at all. On the one hand, he was more than extremely happy that Tsukushi hadn't been hurt.. But the finality of what he'd said to Tsukasa was getting to him. He felt guilty because at that moment he had been so distraught that he hadn't even bothered to examine his own words. The saying 'All is fair in love and war' didn't even apply here! Tsukasa had realized too late that he had feelings for Tsukushi.. But that didn't mean he had to treat him the way he had.. He shook his head, trying to shake the ghost of his angst. He wouldn't worry about Tsukasa, because he was pretty sure that Tsukasa never worried about him, considering all the trouble his curly haired friend had caused thus far. Rui turned to Tsukushi, who had fallen asleep when the sun had risen; maybe she was turning into a vampire? He chuckled a bit, but he knew the laugh didn't quite sound authentic. It was more nervous than anything. He shook his head as his resolve hardened- he wouldn't worry about Tsukasa. He wouldn't he wouldn't he wouldn-

" Calm down Rui."

That voice!

"Shizuka..."

There she stood in the doorway of Tsukushi's hospital room, dressed in a cashmere sweater dress with matching beret- a thin wedding band on her finger. Rui's eyes widened in surprise when he didn't feel anything- no ghost of love, nothing.

"Ah, so this is the girl.."

Shizuka glided into the room and sat daintily on the bed, careful not to move the bed. She began to stroke Tsukushi's hair.

"You know Rui, you shouldn't blow up at Tsukasa like that.. Even the 'Mighty Domyoji' has feelings- and right now he looks like those feelings are dragging him down."

Rui stared at Shizuka; was she really taking Tsukasa's side?

"Iie, he deserved what he got. Not only for almost killing the girl I love, but also because I'm tired of acting like his subordinate. I will make my own choices."

"No one is telling you not to Rui! What I'm telling you is that it would be better for _you _to forgive Tsukasa right now, rather than later!"

Rui turned a deaf ear; if Shizuka had come back from her _wonderful_ marriage just to come tell him _this, _she was wasting her time.

"Shizuka, I am not changing my stance on this matter. You don't know what's been going on with us ever since you left! I finally found a girl _that's not taken, _whom I love! How would you feel if a long time after you found out a girl you loved went off to France to marry someone... how would you feel if you found someone who from first glance warmed you from the inside out!? Tsukushi has brought out a side of me I didn't even know. She's cute and smart and stubborn and quirky, but she's the girl I love! I choose her over following Tsukasa like a mindless sycophant for the rest of the my life!"

Rui's breath was coming out in pants; he had never yelled at Shizuka, not even when he got the call from her _after _she married that guy. Shizuka however looked unfazed, as though him yelling at her was a common occurrence. She got up off the bed and walked towards him, an unreadable expression on her face. She reached him and Rui was forced to see the blankness in her eyes turn to fury. She raised her hand and he felt a sharp sting on his right cheek. He stumbled backwards slightly from the force of the blow.

"Be that as it may, Tsukasa is your best friend. I am just advising you to make up with him before this gets out of hand. You may not be aware of it, but something is going to happen soon and you'll be forced to accept Tsukasa whether or not you've made up. It is in your best interest to do so _right _now."

Shizuka looked at him coldly once more and then with her heels 'clacking' behind her walked towards the door.

"Ja ne, Rui."

The door closing seemed to echo in the strangely silent room. As soon as he heard the small 'click' of the lock, Rui sank to his knees. What had Shizuka meant about all of that? What did she know? And if it was so crucial that he make up with Tsukasa, then why hadn't she told him what was to come?

* * *

"Nishida, where is Tsukasa? I haven't seen him as of late."

Kaede Domyoji sat behind her pristine oak desk, writing an e-mail to one of her business partners, confirming the business meeting that they were due to have the next day.

"He is currently staying with the daughter of the Shika group."

Kaede's fingers stopped in mid-stroke and her eyes widened almost imperceptibly. Could it be that Tsukasa was actually taking their bet seriously? She raised a thin eyebrow and then threw the notion away. There was no one in this world who could possibly love Tsukasa- love was not concrete, love could not be seen; Love was a mistake that fools made.

"Nishida, how long has he been staying there?"

"A week come tomorrow."

"And is he seeing this girl or is she a friend?"

"I believe he is seeing her. His tail has confirmed seeing them together at a variety of places; they've been seen at Club Saphyre, Cafe Bonny, Hidden Treasure Bookstore and a variety of restaurants."

Kaede stopped typing completely. Then turned around in her leather chair so that Nishida couldn't see her expression, which was one of utter awe, confusion and malice all at the same time. That girl..

"Get me a complete workup on that girl immediately. I want to know what she's capable of and what kind of a threat she is to the company."

"Hai, right away Domyoji-sama."

* * *

"Tsubaki-sama, there is trouble on the frontier."

Tsubaki turned around to face Saranghae, who was already changed out of her ninja clothes. Tsubaki had sent reconnaissance mission; the situation involving Tsukasa and Rui was coming to a climax. She had called Shizuka earlier and asked her to fly over immediately; if there was anyone who could talk sense into a senseless Rui, it was her. Change was afoot and Tsubaki was not about to be unprepared for what was going to be the equivalent of tsunami. Her mother was planning something, that much was apparent from the frequent business meetings with the Hanazawa Group. Whatever she was planning with that snake that called himself Rui's father, it wasn't going to be benefiting the two boys; if they didn't stop their bickering, it would just be all that much harder to overcome whatever catastrophe was coming.

"What did you learn Saranghae?"

"Kaede-sama is planning another meeting with Hanazawa-sama. They are going to meet at the Palacio Hotel in two hours to discuss business. However.."

Saranghae knelt down next to Tsubaki and she felt her eyes go wide at what her spy was telling her. Could her mother's hatred for free will really go that far? Tsubaki stood up, Saranghae's words echoing in her ears.

"Get Tsukasa and Rui in here STAT."

"And Makino-sama?"

"Bring her also. As much as I would like to say that she isn't involved in this as much as the other two are, I can't. If my mother goes through with this plan, no one who's associated themselves with Tsukasa and Rui as much as she has will be safe. Also bring me Akira and Sojiro. They might be able to help."

"Hai, Tsubaki-sama. After I bring them to you, do I continue with the plan?"

"No, not until I have finished talking to them I cannot monitor the situation to make sure it doesn't get out of hand."

"Hai."  
Saranghae exited the room, leaving Tsubaki to her musings. What exactly did her mother plan to do once her plan was completed?

* * *

Makino stretched; she had been asleep for the better part of the morning and apparently muscle bruising meant that your muscles all bunched up together. She turned to look at Rui, who sat by the window. Ever since she'd woken up he had been abnormally subdued. Maybe he was still worried? She walked over to him and enveloped him in a hug from behind.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing... Just.."

"Do you miss Tsukasa?"

He looked away from the window and turned to her; she mentally gasped. He had this haunted look in his eyes- like her words brought back some horrible even in his life.. Then she was being squished to death.

"Rui.."

"Just let me hold you.."

Tsukushi held still in his arms, feeling him tremble slightly. What had happened while she was asleep? Tsukushi had never seen Rui so distraught.. So sad.. So.. Her eyes widened as she found the word- lonely. Ever since she'd met him he'd been all smiles and deviousness. Was this what Manda had meant to warn her about when she told her about Rui's family? Under that dazzling smile, was there really an ocean of loneliness? Tsukushi hugged him closer to her. It didn't matter, because if there was, she was going to be the sun on a cloudy day. She would make it so that he never felt this way again. Her eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. First she had to deal with the most obvious problem: Tsukasa. He was obviously regretting his words to his friend. She would put aside her dislike of the curly haired boy if it meant Rui would be happy.

Rui lifted his head from over her shoulder, old smile in place. His eyes were just the tiniest bit of pink around the edges, and his eyes were glowing faintly. Tsukushi tiptoed and kissed him softly. His eyes completely lit up and soon they were in a sea of bliss.

* * *

Tsukushi walked towards Rui's car, limping slightly. Rui was up ahead, putting her overnight bag in the trunk and moving the passenger seat slightly backwards so that she could keep her leg elevated. Tsukushi was going to cross the street separating her from Rui. She smiled; everything would be alright.

Then a black car that she had seen circling the lot stopped in the middle of the road. Two men in black exited and grabbed her.

"What the- HELP!"

They handcuffed her hands from behind while one held a piece of cloth to her face. Her screams got weaker and she barely registered anything as she was being loaded into the car. The last thing she heard before she drifted off into a fitful sleep was Rui yelling her name.

* * *

Rui was fixing the passenger seat of his car when a black limo pulled up in the middle of the street, obscuring his view of Tsukushi. He didn't even wait a moment. His door was slammed and he began running across the street. He didn't know what these people wanted but no way did a limo that grandiose stop at a _commoner's_ hospital and just be about ordinary business.

"MAKINO!"

He jumped onto the trunk of the car, propelling himself to go over it and saw three men in black loading Tsukushi into the back of the limo. Just as he pulled back to punch them, one of them lifted a gun to her head, with an evil smile. The message was clear: you try to stop us and a bullet goes through her head. He dropped his fist and glared at them, slowly closing the distance. He wasn't going to let them take her.. They couldn't take her. A red haze covered his vision and he was about to run at them when the other pointed a gun at him and the third pointed another at Tsukushi, this time under her chin. If they shot her from both angles, there wouldn't be any hope of her surviving. Rui stopped. The men got into the car and as they sped off Rui ran towards his car, only to find someone was already there.

"Tsubaki, what are you doing here?"

Tsubaki got off the hood of his car and sauntered over to him.

"Rui, it's started."

"What has?"

"The ultimate war: the war of love."

Rui turned around and to his amazement saw Tsukasa walking towards him, holding a sheaf of papers in his hands.

"Tsukasa..."

"So what do you say Rui? Are we going to join forces to save her and then fight over her afterwards?"

Rui just stared at his friend and then turned back to Tsubaki.

"Who's doing this?"

Tsukasa moved forward and flicked him of the forehead; that stupid smirk on his face.

"You're telling me you haven't figured it out yet? You hear that Tsu-"

Rui didn't have time for his idiot friend's game.

"Why am I the only one panicked here?! Every minute we spend here they're taking Tsukushi far-!"

A hand covered his mouth and Rui turned to see Akira and then Sojiro was beside him. What the hell was going on?!

"When in war it is important to know your enemy."

Akira removed his hand from Rui's mouth as he said this and then Sojiro stepped in front of his playboy counterpart.

"Tsukasa's mom and your dad merged their companies; in doing so they got the whole picture. Rui, your dad knows everything thats happened thus far. So does Tsukasa's mom. Neither one likes who you're dating."  
Tsukasa looked at Sojiro, incredulously.

"I'm not dating anyone!"

"Think Tsukasa- to anyone who didn't know about the bet, what would it look like you and Manda have been doing this past week?"

"Playing master and slave?"

Akira hit Tsukasa over the head and began to pick up where Sojiro left off.

"Dating, you dolt. It just so happens that your motherasked Manda's dad for a marriage interview with Manda- he declined even though Manda was all for it."

Akira snickered at some secret knowledge and Rui had to smirk. Of course everyone knew that Manda loved Tsukasa- everyone, that is, except Tsukasa himself.

"After that the Shika group dropped all affiliations with the Domyoji Group; hence the reason Tsukasa's mom isn't happy. Rui, your dad isn't happy with Makino, because she is a commoner."

Rui looked around at his circle of friends, a heavy weight setting in on his shoulders. How the hell had they even joined forces? Tsubaki stepped foward, motioning for someone to step into the group. A tallish girl with sandy brown hair and clear blue eyes walked into the center of the circle, bowing slightly to each one of them in turn; Rui withheld his gasp as he recognized her as the girl who had begun working at the cafe yesterday.

"This is Saranghae-chan. I've had her monitoring the situation from all sides. I've had her surveilling you and Tsukasa for the better part of two weeks; she's also been monitoring what's been going on in your father's and my mother's lives as well. She hacked into their e-mail a short while ago, and found this."

Tsubaki reached into her small purse and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. Rui took it and read through it, eyes widening as he took each word in. What the...?

__

... I will have them taken to the Palacio Hotel; when you meet me there at 3 o' clock Domyoji-san, we will then deal with this problem once and for all. We will both have our sons back and after all this is through our companies will enjoy many years of prosperity.

Best Regards,

"..Hanazawa Ren."

Tsubaki nodded as Rui read that last part aloud and that red tint returned to his vision. Then he looked back down at the paper. _Them_... his father had typed them. As in more than one person.. As in..

"They have Manda too."

Tsubaki's nod became graver.

"Now you understand the full situation Rui. As long as we get there before three and stop them, we'll do fine. Your father won't do anything without consulting our mother."

Rui looked down at his watch. It was 2 o' clock on the dot- the Palacio Hotel was almost an hour away. Rui nodded and then got into his car, opening the passenger seat for whoever wanted to get in. To his immense surprise Tsukasa got in, slamming the door behind him.

"Sorry Rui."

That caught him off guard; he would've dropped the keys if he hadn't just finished putting them in the ignition. He quickly recovered his composure though.

"I'm sorry too Tsukasa."

With that the two best friends sped off into the distance in Rui's Martin Aston.

* * *

**Ah the picture perfect ending- well except for the fact Makino got kidnapped.. Review?**


	12. Call It A Draw

**Gomen minna-san! I took forever again! Well anyway thanks go out to the usual people(I'm updating from my phone or else I'd list them like I usually do but I'm in kind of a hurry!) Enjoy~**

* * *

When Makino woke up she thought she was still in the hospital, yet as she took in the room she was in, her mind was flooded with the events leading up to this. Her and Rui walking.. Then a black limo... Then nothing. She took in the plush room, and nearly cried out in frustration as she looked down at her hands- they were bound to the chair she was sitting in. Where was she?

"Took you long enough to wake up.."

Makino looked up from her hands and sighed as she saw Manda across from her, in the same position except, her ankles were also bound and her pale cheek had a red mark on it. When Manda caught sight of where Tsukushi's eyes were fixated, she let out a soft harsh chuckle.

"Chloroform doesn't work on me and I don't deal well with being kidnapped."

Tsukushi eyes widened as she listened to Manda's calm and seemingly nonchalant explanation.

"Where are we?"

"Judging from the logo on the phone book over there, we're in Palacio Hotel- ironically one of my father's many hotels."

Tsukushi looked around her, hoping the chair was in reach of something sharp.. Maybe a pencil or something..? She sighed in frustration as she saw the bare desk situated behind her. She looked at Manda, who was staring intently at a letter opener embossed with the Palacio crest, as though by doing so it would grow wings and fly over to her. She might as well get some answers while they were here.

"Why are we here?"

"Rui's dad doesn't like you with Rui and he's teamed up with that witch Domyoji calls his mother."

"Then why are you here?"

"Domyoji's mom already hated me because my idiot of a father didn't want to merge with her.. Then at a party I _accidentally _spilled Oolong tea on her suede suit after she called my café a 'sad excuse to serve even the plebeians'. Combine that with the fact that it looks like me and Tsukasa have been dating for the past week and _voila,_ I'm here!"

Tsukushi noted the slightly bitter tone that kicked in when she talked about her and Domyoji's charade. Maybe she had been right when she had assumed there was A LOT more behind Manda's various mod swings around Domyoji? Tsukushi mentally shook herself. This wasn't the time to be thinking about where Manda's love interests! She had to find a way to get free.. She let her gaze stray towards the letter opener and then looked down at her unbound feet. If she could push back hard enough with her feet she might be able to scrape the chair across the tile. Slowly she pushed her feet under so that they were under the chair and then pushed hard, dragging them forward; she let out a slight squeal of elation when the chair inched forward slightly. She looked at Manda who wore a slightly relieved smile. There just might be hope to get out of this situation. And so Tsukushi kept on with her long endeavor and was slightly out of breath when she reached the end table across the room. Then her smile fell slightly. How was she supposed to pick up the damn thing?

"Try wriggling your wrists- just by looking at them I could tell they're bound a lot looser than mine."

Tsukushi nodded, even though she knew the shorter girl couldn't see her head from the position she was in. Tsukushi pulled her hand up harshly, feeling that the rope was indeed somewhat loosely. She did it several times and could've cried for joy when the rope loosened up enough so that she could wiggle her hand out. Tentatively she reached out for the letter opener and started sawing away at the rope that bound her left hand; it didn't even take all of five minutes. With that done, she walked over to Manda and began undoing her friend's bindings- which she noted, were much tighter than her own. Once she was done with that Manda took over the process and undid the ropes on her feet; Just as she placed the letter opener down, the door opened and in walked (from Tsukushi's standing) the most powerful woman she had ever seen.

-------------------

Manda felt a sneer creep up on her face as Kaede walked in. She had never liked the over reaching woman- she had no limits to how cruel she could be and didn't like opposition.

"Ah, so you managed to free yourself Shika-san?"

There was an edge to her voice, a slight trembling that wouldn't have been noticed had Manda not caught the confusion in the older woman's emotionless eyes.

"Surprised ,Kaede?"

It was a childish provocation, but Manda couldn't help herself.

"Don't act so overly familiar with me, you ill bred child!"

As Manda began striding toward the middle aged woman, Rui's father strode in.

----------------

Tsukushi stood motionlessly as Rui's father walked in. He could have been Rui's twin save for the eyes. While Rui's were the definition of warmth and safety, this man's eyes were cold and looked upon her as though she was mud on his expensive shoes.

"Follow me."

His voice was deep and vaguely reminded Tsukushi of a robot's. He opened a door that led to an adjacent room and walked into it, turning the light on as he entered. Tsukushi looked to Manda, slightly uneasy. However Manda was otherwise occupied- meaning she was having a Glare-Off with the woman that Tsukushi assumed was Domyoji's mother. Reluctantly Tsukushi entered the room, and stood in front of Rui's father who sat on a leather couch, a briefcase on his lap.

"How much?"

Tsukushi was confused by the two simple words. How much what? Then as he pulled out a checkbook from the briefcase Tsukushi felt herself stiffen. Money. Why did everything always boil down to money?!

"How much will it take to forget about my son?"

Tsukushi felt her eyes narrow in anger and she stood straighter.

"No amount of money would ever compare to what I feel for Rui!"

Rui's dad didn't even blink. He closed the checkbook and stared at her.

"Do you know what it will mean for Rui if he chooses you over succeeding the company? I will not have my heir married to some riff-raff commoner. Do you really want to see someone who has always lived in the lap of luxury fall down to your level?"

"Father, I'd rather fall down into the pits of hell itself than leave Tsukushi just to succeed your company."

Tsukushi turned around, smile forming as she caught sight of her marble eyed prince. She didn't know how he knew where she'd been taken, and she didn't care; they were together again. Rui strode toward where she stood and she couldn't help her smile of exultation when he reached for her hand.

"You truly believe that this will last Rui? Do you really think once your money is gone that this _tramp_ will want anything to do with you?"

An expression of muted fury covered Rui's usually serene face and Tsukushi felt his hand clench hers slightly harder.

"Unlike you father, I have faith in the woman I love- not like you and mother."

A similar expression appeared on Rui's dad's face.

"Don't speak of your mother like that!"

"I'll speak of her however I wish! She's always off on her trips! Tell me father, when was the last time you and her even saw each other for more than three seconds? Why is it, that I have to pay for your mistakes?! If you hadn't chosen such a shallow self absorbed woman, we wouldn't be having this discussion!"

Rui's father stood up and Tsukushi felt herself step back instinctively; Rui however stood his ground.

"I will not be spoken to in such a manner! You are my son and I will not have such filth spewed at me!"

"Face it father! You can't deal with the truth- your wife is so imperfect that you feel I'll make the same mistake you did! That's the only reason you choose to interfere at all!"

* * *

Rage made Rui's blood boil. His father could be so thickheaded!

"I do not interfere. I merely choose who's suitable to marry you; I choose who's fit to carry on the Hanazawa legacy."

Rui let out a harsh chuckle, not caring that it sounded half crazy.

"News flash father- that is interfering!"

His father glared at him, then at Tsukushi who was slightly behind Rui, still holding his hand. Rui's anger immediately disappeared as he saw the shaken expression on her face. He didn't mean to get so angry- he never let it carry on this far... Damn his father! Damn him to hell!

"Tsukushi.."

She looked up at him, fear changing into concern. She squeezed his hand reassuringly. She was fine. Rui sighed mentally. She probably wanted this to be over just as much as he did.

_Flashback_

_"Why are you here Shizuka?"_

_Rui stood in front of the Palacio hotel, Tsukasa barely catching up to him, looking slightly shaken; he had driven like a bat out of hell once they left the hospital. Shizuka got up from the bench she was sitting on and walked primly over to him, eyes hard and cold. _

_"Be careful; it would do you good to remember who's in there waiting for you. And even if it seems as though they've given up, remember you've only won a battle. That's all Tsubaki wanted me to tell you."_

_Rui stood there as Shizuka passed him and then turned to see her get in her car. _

_"Shizuka!"_

_She turned to look at him, curiosity in her otherwise blank eyes. _

_"Be careful!"_

_She nodded to Rui, a soft smile creeping up on her face. He watched her drive away, and then with a stubborn expression forming on his face he marched up to the double doors of the foreboding hotel._

_End Flashback_

"Ikuzo Tsukushi."

He looked to Tsukushi, soft smile in place. They had to leave now.. If he didn't leave he would scare her more. There was a reason he was so calm a lot of the time- he was scary when he was angry. She nodded to him and he began walking towards the door when his father made his last (at least Rui hoped it was) play.

"Rui, if you leave there is no coming back. Walking out that door means you're going to pack up your belongings, take your inheritance and we'll never se you again. Am I being understood? By walking out the door, you no longer bear the Hanazawa legacy."

Rui didn't even pause.

"Sayonara ,Ren."-

With that he closed the door behind him.

* * *

"Was that really okay Rui?"

Tsukushi looked up at Rui, an uneasy feeling growing in her chest. Was Rui making the right choice in leaving everything he knew behind? And for her?

"It was never a home to me and for you.."

He bent down and looked directly into her eyes.

"... I'd follow you to the end of the earth."

**(a/n: cheesy I know -weeps- but from Rui -squeals and faints)**

And Tsukushi didn't care about anything when he pressed his lips to hers. The sinking feeling in her stomach was lost- it didn't matter that they hadn't won the war.. It was enough to just have won the battle, at least for now.

* * *

Manda glared at Kaede, who was giving her a condescending smile.

"How much will it cost to get rid of you?"

Manda replied in kind with a sneer.

"You think you know everything, don't you Kaede?"

Manda gave her a grin so wide she felt as though her face would split in two when she saw the condescending smile fall.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let me ask you this first. Why did you bring me here?"

Manda watched as Kaede's grin reappeared- a complete contradiction of the words that came out of her mouth.

"Because I don't approve of you."

"And who said we were dating?"

The grin fell completely this time.

"My sources tailed Tsukasa-!"

Manda pulled out the copy of Tsukasa's contract- the one detailing everything he'd had to suffer through for the week and threw it onto the coffee table.

"Tsukasa was protecting _your_ company; last week he offended me and Rui asked me to keep the incident from my father. As a condition from keeping it from my father, Tsukasa had to 'date' me for a week. All the details are in that contract on that table."

Manda sat down leisurely on the couch and crossed her legs primly as Kaede picked up the contract, for once utterly speechless. She flipped through the booklet and Manda got up. Her work here was done.

"Do you plan to pursue Tsukasa after you leave this room?"

Manda stopped dead in her tracks.

"What do you mean?"

"When you father declined the request for the marriage interview, my sources told me you held a heavy opposition. Why?"

Manda turned slowly towards the woman so she could see what the woman's reaction would be to her words.

"Because I love him- I love your son, Tsukasa Domyoji."

* * *

Tsukasa had his hand on the door ready to barge in when he heard Manda say something while she was close to the door.

"..I love your son, Tsukasa Domyoji."

His eyes widened and he tore his hand from the door, as though he'd been burnt.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

"I've loved your son since I first saw him in the Eitoku cafeteria."

"Nonsense- Tsukasa graduated years before you enrolled there!"

"But he was still studying business. He was still in college and him and the F4 visited Eitoku often to have lunch. When I saw him again at the café, it was like a dream..."

Tsukasa stood very still, his fried brain trying to process everything. Manda, the girl who had been pushing him around all week ,loved him? Tsukasa was about to turn around when he heard the door open and Manda, who was still looking at his mother came out. He stepped back but it was too late- Manda stumbled and fell on top of him. Tsukasa's eyes opened when he felt soft flesh against his lips. He stared into brown orbs; it took him a few moments to realize who those orbs belonged to. With a mental 'EHHHHHH!?!?" He scrambled out from under the small girl who had her fingers to her lips.

"My first kiss.."

Tsukasa's eyes widened. What the hell did the damn chibi mean by 'first kiss'?! She was twenty years old for god's sake! He'd had his first kiss like... His eyes widened with the sudden realization that his first kiss had only been about a week ago- with Makino... His shoulders slumped; twenty five and only two kisses- both by accident. He was the Almighty for gods sake! Shouldn't he be attracting every model in the area?!

"Yosh! I am going to find myself some models! Sojiro!!!"

He ran off, a full grin on his face, leaving Manda on the floor wondering what the hell he had meant by models.

* * *

**Review?**


	13. Call It Another Hurdle

**Yo minna! Once again I'm updating from my phone so I can't really post every reviewer's name- but still my thanks are the same!**

* * *

"I can't go with you Tsukasa,"

Tsukasa stared at his playboy friend ,dumbfounded. Since when couldn't Sojiro go to a strip club?

"Why not?"

Sojiro laid his head onto the back of his couch, hair dangling above his eyes.

"Do you know how many enemies I made when I chose Yuki over all the models and hostesses and strippers? Walking into Tokyo's biggest strip club would be like asking to die, be buried ,then dug up and killed again!"

Tsukasa's shoulders slumped but the quick thumping in his chest didn't slow. He had run away from Manda but even then the thumping hadn't stopped. He growled pathetically and then ran his fingers through his hair. What the hell was going on?!

* * *

Rui was kneeling on his bedroom floor, packing his various white outfits into his white suitcase. Tsukushi had wanted to come and help him but he knew he had to do this by himself; he didn't want Tsukushi to see the ghosts of his past run through his eyes if he had sudden flashbacks- it would be worse than the time she'd seen him cry. Rui let out a sigh as he put his last white suit into the suitcase. He closed it and zipped it up. Then slowly as though in a trance he stood up and looked around the glowing white room. He had gone through so much in this room- most of the time alone. He had gone through the death of his grandfather who was the only person who'd ever cared about him.. He had dealt with his feelings of guilt over the stupid red notices that Tsukasa dealt out every week.. He had dealt with his depression when Shizuka got married in France without telling him. As he looked around the room, remembering all those times that he suffered alone; it was like a weight was lifting off his shoulders.

Methodically, Rui gathered what little personal belongings he had, including a picture of when he and the rest of the F4 were in kindergarten. He held the frame in his hand, chuckling softly as he looked at the arrogant smile on Tsukasa's face and then to Sojiro and Akira's 'come hither' expressions- none of them had changed a bit, except him. He had been happy with life until the only person who cared about him died. After that he became reclusive, mysterious and above all painfully lonely. It was Shizuka who had drawn him out of his shell. Then she left and it was back to business as usual. Then Makino appeared. A soft smile came onto Rui's face. He picked up his suitcases (the extra one filled with the rest of his book collection) and set the frame down into the small box with his things. Then he walked out of the room, not bothering to look back at the lonely room that seemed to belong to another person.

* * *

Tsukushi lay on her bed, cell phone open on her stomach. Rui had left over an hour ago to pick up his stuff from his house. Originally she had wanted to help and was ready to protest when he said 'no' but was stopped when she saw something pass in his eyes. And so she decided to stay home, tidying up here and there.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

Tsukushi sat up abruptly. Who was that? Maybe Rui was back? She walked out of her room making a mental note to make Rui a copy of the apartment key. She reached the door and was about to open I when something occurred to her. What if it was Domyoji?

"No, no, no. Makino Tsukushi learns from her mistakes."

She left the door and walked over to the kitchen, grabbing a pan from the drain board. Slowly she made her way back to the door and opened it. The pan fell out of her hands when she saw who her mysterious visitors were.

"Mama! Papa! Susumu!"

Her family stood there, smiles plastered on their faces. Ever since her family moved to Hokkaido so Susumu could attend a high school that offered him a scholarship, she hadn't seen much of them. Tsukushi launched herself into their arms and then ushered them into her apartment.

-------------------

Rui drove along, almost back to Tsukushi's apartment. He had gotten stuck in traffic and it had been over two hours since he'd dropped Tsukushi off at the apartment. He hadn't even been able to call because being the space cadet he was, he'd left his phone at her apartment.

Rui slowed down to a crawl and then parked his car, whistling as he went along. He took out his suitcase and the small box and made his way into the complex. Opting for the elevator he got in and punched floor three. After what seemed like an eternity Rui stepped out of the metal box and walked down the hall towards Tsukushi's apartment. He heard muffled voices inside so he knocked softly as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Who was in there? Getting no response he opened the door and stepped in.

"Tadaima.."

Rui looked up and stared into three pairs of inquisitive eyes. There was a middle aged woman, man and a boy in his late teens and behind them was Tsukushi, a sheepish expression on her face.

"Who is this Tsukushi?"

The woman turned to Tsukushi who was making her way towards him. She reached him and then wound her arm through his.

"This is Hanazawa Rui, my... My..."

A cute blush crept up on her face and Rui smirked in amusement.

"I'm her boyfriend. Nice to meet you."

He bowed slightly and looked over at Tsukushi who still had her head lowered because of her raging blush; he winked at her and then stood up straight.

Tsukushi's father stepped forward and took his free hand in both of his.

"I'm Haruo Makino, Tsukushi's father. This is my wife Chieko and our son Susumu."

"Nice to meet you."

Rui bowed again.

"Papa, Mama, can you please move? Rui was bringing his stuff in.."

"Eh!? You all are livin-"

"Mama I will explain later."

Tsukushi grabbed his hand and half dragged him to her -their- room. She closed the door and sank down to the floor to the right of the door, an exhausted expression on her face. Rui let his stuff go and sank down next to her.

"What's wrong?"

She grabbed his hand in hers again and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It's just been a _really_ long day. Kidnapped first thing in the morning is not a good way to start the day."

She laughed and Rui found himself getting lost in the airy sound. His eyes begun closing slightly and he looked at her, all smiles and happiness. She looked at him, her smile softening even more; Rui found himself hugging her close and feeling warmer than he could've thought possible. Slowly he leaned in and cradled her head in his hands, fingers callused from years of playing violin. Her hands came up to cradle his and he smiled as they entangled in his hair. He brought one of his fingers down to her lips and traced them lightly.

"Beautiful."

Then he moved his finger and kissed her softly, emotions running rampant through his very being. The foremost was utter bliss, because in his arms was the most beautiful person he had ever known- inside and out. It overwhelmed all else, including the soft click of the door as someone closed it.

* * *

Chieko Makino looked around her daughters small apartment and smiled. This felt like a home, not like some other apartments that she had visited. Sure they had been lush and pristine, but they were merely props. Tsukushi's house was lived in and although sparse, very warm. She got up from the couch, ignoring her husband's questioning glance. She walked over to what she assumed was Tsukushi's room and opened the door slightly, careful not to throw it open too far. She withheld her gasp as she saw Rui caress Tsukushi's lips with a single finger.. It wasn't the action that surprised her- it was the look he had in his half lidded eyes; it was as passionate as it was caring and yet there was something else too... Slowly Chieko's eyes closed as she realized what it was. As Rui pressed his lips Tsukushi's, she closed the door. That look in his eyes was one of pure reverence- of love.

----------------

Manda sat on the counter of her café, eyes far away. Tsukasa hid behind a telephone pole, looking at her. After being turned down by Sojiro, Tsukasa had asked Akira, but his mother promptly dragged him out of the room to play dress up with his sisters; needless to say Tsukasa wasn't planning on seeing _any_ of his friends in dresses any time soon. After that he had wandered around town, not caring that it was slightly drizzling. Somehow he had ended up in front of Manda's café and she had been in that position for the better part of an hour.

Abruptly she jumped off the counter, fingers still held to her lips and went into the backroom. Seizing the chance to get out of the steadily pouring rain, Tsukasa ran into the café and ran towards the alcove in the far corner. Though, when he heard a soft 'thump' he turned around and saw that he'd knocked over Manda's small backpack in his haste. He looked around for said girl and then quickly began putting things back into the bag. He stopped however when he heard steps coming closer to the door that lead to the backroom. Tsukasa put the bag back on the counter; it wasn't until he was well out of sight in the alcove that he noticed he had a book in his hand. Even worse, it was a black leather book that had the word 'Journal' embroidered in red thread on the cover. Tsukasa cursed under his breath. Of all things why did he have to hold on to this particular item? He sat down on the floor, and set the book down next to him. He would wait until she went to the bathroom or something and then place the book back in her purse or something. He wouldn't read it; not because he didn't want to, but because after many a beating he had learnt that diaries were 'a sacred vessel containing a girl's hopes and dreams'- at least that's what Tsubaki had told him every time that she'd caught him in her room. He shook his head as flashbacks of what happened afterward came to him. The point was that he would not read it!

"_Click"_

Tsukasa looked up from his hands just in time to see Manda locking the door to the café. Crap! She turned and walked away and the minute he was out of sight he ran to the door, shaking the locked door frantically. He walked over to his alcove and held his head in his hands. He hadn't meant to space out! He whipped out his cell phone to call his men but then snapped it shut. If his men came and tore down the door Manda would find out he was in here- then he'd have to explain why he was in her, which was something he didn't want to do. Tsukasa sighed as his tum-tum rumbled; he hadn't eaten anything since the omelet in the morning. He looked out at the empty café and then got back up. Well at least he'd had enough sense to get stuck someplace with food.

* * *

Rui put the last of his suits in the closet and smiled. After he'd stolen that moment with Tsukushi, her parents had become exceedingly more relaxed around him- it was almost as if they'd been watching. He knelt down to the floor and pushed his suitcase into the closet. When he moved to get up, dainty hands covered his eyes and he smiled as he felt Tsukushi's lips press to his cheek.

"Are you done?"

"Yes"

He stood up and Tsukushi wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Ne Rui.. Are you sure about earlier?"

"Surer than anything in my entire life."

Rui held her head to his chest, softly stroking her loose hair. Then he lifted her chin up with one of is fingers.

"Do you want to go out to eat? Or stay home?"

Tsukushi hugged him closer and Rui smiled as he buried his face in her hair.

"I'll make somethin-"

"_Knock! Knock! Knock!_ "

"Ah I'll get it!"

Tsukushi ran out of his arms and towards the door. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed watching her retreating form. He heard the door open but when he didn't hear anything, he moved out of the room and towards the living room. His eyes widened as he saw Makino on the floor trying to push off a wiry guy with red hair. Before he knew it, he was on top of the guy, pulling the guy off of Tsukushi. The guy fell back onto his elbows and Rui stood up, every fiber of his being on high alert.

"Who are you?!"

The guy stood up and shook his hair out. Rui stiffened when he heard Tsukushi gasp.

"Jun.."

The guy moved toward Rui, a haughty expression on his face.

"I'm her ex-boyfriend. Who are you pretty boy?"

The guy was handsome, Rui had to give him that, but the way he held himself.. Like some ill bred delinquent.

"I'm her boyfriend. What are you doing here? And why was Tsukushi on the floor?!"

The guy moved a bit closer, trying to make himself seem bigger; unfortunately (for the guy) Rui was about a foot taller.

"I want her back."

Rui's eyes widened on reflex then they narrowed- this guy... What the hell did he mean he wanted Tsukushi back?!

"Jun!"

Rui turned around to see Tsukushi standing up and walking towards them. Her face was flushed, but not with embarrassment- the anger in her eyes couldn't have been any clearer.

"What's up _honey _?"

Rui decided if the guy didn't drop the suggestive leer that he'd rip it off with his own hands.

"First of all: Don't call me honey. Second of all: Just because that stripper you cheated on me with found another sugar daddy doesn't mean you can come running back to me. I moved on a long time ago- long before Rui came along."

Rui turned to look at Tsukushi again; she was trembling- whether from anger or sadness he didn't know. One look at her eyes and he decided it was the former. As calmly as he could, under the circumstances anyway, he turned back to Jun.

"You heard her- leave."

Jun just laughed.

"You are such a pansy!"

Jun swung his wiry arm but Rui caught it before it even got close to his face.

"Who are you calling a pansy?"

Rui twisted the guys arm and then swung back his own arm; the thump that followed was music to his ears. Jun flew backwards into the wall in the hallway, bruise already forming from the impact.

"This isn't over- you'll be mine in the end Tsuki.. And that guy you call your boyfriend will be on his knees begging for mercy!"

Rui felt a hand on his arm when he tried to advance forward with the sole intent of kicking the living shit out of the idiot and looked down to see Tsukushi, a new kind of resolve in her eyes.

"Ah soka?"

She walked out into the hall and then crouched down on feet.

"Don't be so full of yourself!"

She swung her arm back so quickly that if Jun's head hadn't made such a loud 'thump' on the wall, Rui wouldn't have even known that Tsukushi had hit him. Tsukushi got up and stared scornfully at the cowering redhead.

"Listen and listen good: Dating you was the worst mistake I ever made. Don't ever show your face around me again!"

Tsukushi walked over to Rui and grabbed his hand.

"Let's go out after all- I forgot that we didn't have groceries."

Rui nodded and let himself be towed down the stairwell to his car.

* * *

**Can't say I'm in love with this chapter, mostly cos I think Rui is turning a bit OOC. If he is I blame it on watching Gokusen and Hana Kimi.. Throughout both dramas I kept picturing him as Rui.. So don't hesitate to tell me if he's becoming too violent or distant. Review?**


	14. Call It A Prelude to the Climax

**Yo minna~WOOT OVER 3000 VIEWS AND 61 REVIEWS! Lub you guys! Here is –looks at chapter number- the 14****th**** chappie of this seemingly impossible romance! I am on the computer this time (though I only have time enough to post the names- I really wanna reply to the reviews but my grandma is giving me the 'look' –wince-)**

**Okay so thanks go out to the usual suspects: Saranghae-Minnie, b . aka-chan, Illuminating-Darkness, forever angel, lolita-mist, sharx, and Spoutnik –robot comes out of nowhere and hands you all life sized Rui posters then disappears- lol I'm slowly making Rui into my poster boy aren't I?**

* * *

"Tsukushi... That guy... Who exactly was he?"

Rui sat across from Tsukushi, sipping on a root beer float. Tsukushi paused mid-bite in the hamburger she ordered and then set it down, somewhat somberly.

"His name is Junpei... He actually went to Eitoku because he was a model... But he got expelled because of a fight he got into with one of the F4; after that he transferred over to my high school and in our third year he asked me out. We had been on and off until finally last year I had it with his affairs; so I dumped him..."

Tsukushi looked down and Rui bit his lip; he really could've smacked himself. He hadn't asked the question with the intent to bring up old memories... Honestly, he was curious- curious as to the reason Tsukushi would stay with such a guy. Rui sat back in his seat as Tsukushi regained some of her composure- which made him more than glad. Yes he had girlfriends before- but with quantity did not come necessarily experience... In other words he didn't know what to do when girls started to cry. Then something Tsukushi said clicked. Junpei got expelled because he got into a fight with F4... Then Rui's eyes widened; he had been wondering ever since they left the apartment why the guy had looked familiar; it all made sense- Junpei looked familiar because **he** was the one that had fought with him.

_Flashback_

_"Oy! Hanazawa!"_

_Rui turned around to see a guy with red hair running up to him. _

_"Nande?"_

_"I was wondering- would you be interested in coming out in a magazine shoot?"_

_Rui sighed and then turned around to keep on walking, not bothering to give an answer; he came out more than he would like to in magazines anyway- he didn't need another photo spread talking about how mysterious he was._

"_Oy! I'm talking to you!"_

_Rui turned around, his face smooth and blank of all emotions._

"_I thought it would've been obvious by my silence- I don't want to do it. Find someone else to bother, please."_

_Rui turned around again and began walking away; he had a class at the college in an hour, and he didn't intend to be late, especially because of some idiot who just wanted to bolster his own fame. Then Rui felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back roughly and forcing him to look at the pathetic guy. He had brown eyes just like Shizuka's fiancé; cringing, he corrected himself- like Shizuka's __**husband.**_

"_Get your hand off of me."_

_The guy's hand didn't budge. Rui sighed and shook it off. He didn't need to get into any fights- that was Tsukasa's forte, not his. _

"_At least consider it- I mean that Shizuka chick wouldn't want you moping about her getting married right?"_

_Rui's eyes widened as his hands clenched into fists. Who the hell did this guy think he was?! Who was he to start talking about Shizuka so casually to him!? He didn't even know her- or him for that matter! So why was he running his mouth off? Did he really want to have him in the shoot or was he just getting back at him for blowing him off? Rui breathed in deeply. _

"_You don't know anything about Shizuka. I'll tell you one more time- leave me alone!"_

_Rui began to walk away for what seemed like the umpteenth time when he felt that damned hand on his shoulder. Without prelude or warning Rui turned around and let his fist fly, scowling when he felt his target fall backwards with the force of the punch. He didn't like resorting to violence but this guy knew the dangers of the buttons he was pushing. Rui turned on his heel, when someone grabbed his ankle. Damn it, this guy was persistent! He shook off the hand and turned around to tell the guy something, but he had already gotten to his feet and Rui staggered backwards when a fist collided with his right cheek. Rui's scowls deepened as he felt a trickle of blood go down from his lip. He wiped it off with the back of his hand and then let his fist fly again, continuing the vicious pattern of what would turn out to be an hour long fight._

_End Flashback_

"RUI!"

Rui's mind refocused on the present, which consisted of Tsukushi waving her hand in front of him, not too inconspicuously; Rui had to smirk.

"What's so funny?"

She pouted and her cheeks slightly puffed out, which caused him to laugh somewhat loudly; she really was too cute for words.

* * *

Tsukushi smiled softly when she saw that furrow of tension disappear from Rui's forehead. She had been talking to him and then all of a sudden he had gotten quiet and he had gotten that look in his eyes that told her that he had had a revelation. Then she had spent the following five minutes waving her hand in front of his eyes, and calling his name, which drew some attention from the other diners.

"Ne, Rui what were you thinking about just now?"

Tsukushi picked up her burger and took a thoughtful bite, very much curious. It wasn't often that Rui blanked out like that and when he did it usually meant that he had realized the significance of something, whether the matter be small or big.

"I realized why your ex seemed so familiar; _I_ was the one who fought with him."  
Tsukushi stopped in mid chew and swallowed, dumbfounded. She had long since assumed that Domyoji was the one who had gotten into the fight- but Rui being involved? That floored her.

"H-how come you guys got into a fight?"

Rui sighed and took a small sip from his root beer float, which had long since been devoid of ice cream.

"He asked me to do a modeling job with him and when I declined he began getting hitting below the belt. It was around the same time that Shizuka got married and somehow he knew that it had affected me. I tried walking away but he kept on and eventually I reached the end of my patience."

Tsukushi let out a breath of relief. She was glad that Junpei's version of how it happened (which involved an unprovoked attack) wasn't true; Rui's version made a lot more sense.

"And after that?"

Rui sighed and looked at Tsukushi, a soft glint in his eyes.

"Tsukasa found out and was about to go deal with Junpei himself but Akira and Sojiro convinced him not to and just report it. Because we were a big part of the school, the principal expelled Junpei."

Tsukushi nodded, taking the last bite of her burger. It made sense; no school would want the children of their four benefactors angry- that would just be asking for trouble.

"Ne, Tsukushi. Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

Rui shifted in his seat, and then brought his head down so that it was balanced on his intertwined fingers.

"Why did you put up with him for so long?"

Tsukushi was slightly taken aback, but it didn't take her even a second to recover.

"Do you believe in fate Rui?"

Rui paused for a second and then nodded.

"I don't know why I put up with him, so I attribute it to fate. I learned a lot of things while dating him- mostly about myself. I learned what I wanted from a relationship and what I didn't want. When it was clear to me that he wasn't what I wanted, I dumped him; Yuuki calls it a lesson well learned. I call it fate, because if I had stayed with him, then I probably wouldn't have been able to meet you."

Rui straightened up and Tsukushi reached for his hand across the table and intertwined her fingers with his.

"Why wouldn't we have met?"

"Because he wanted me to quit working at the club; that's the entire reason we had our last fight."

Rui nodded and then reached for her hand and she smiled when they intertwined those fingers. Tsukushi smiled and then moved over so that she was sitting on the same side as Rui; she laid her head on his shoulder and fingers still intertwined, kissed him softly. He chuckled and Tsukushi raised an eyebrow, wondering what her boyfriend could be thinking. To this he just shook his head and kissed her forehead, both enjoying the moment. Little did either know that someone was watching them from outside.

* * *

Tsukasa sighed as he paced the length of the alcove for what seemed like the umpteenth time. He was bored out of his mind, and messing with his phone had been interesting for about all of five minutes. His eyes got drawn back to the little black book on the floor and he shook his head; he would NOT read that book, even under threat of torture. His wasn't the LEAST bit interested in what that vulgar girl had written. He walked over to the wall to the very back of the alcove and sank down to the floor, never taking his eyes off of the book, and feeling his curiosity taint his very thought process. Well a quick peek couldn't hurt- could it? He slowly got to his feet and then lurched forward and grabbed the book quickly, as though it were a precious diamond in a museum that was mounted on security sensors **(a/n: what comes to mind is those old cartoons where the villain tied a rope around their waist and dropped straight above a diamond display case and picked up the diamond- have no idea what I'm talking about? WATCH BOOMERANG!)**

Tentatively Tsukasa opened the cover, preparing himself for an explosion or something. **(a/n: Just how far did Tsubaki go to protect her secrets?) **When nothing happened he looked down at the slightly slanted writing. Knowing that there was no way he was going to put the book down Tsukasa resignedly turned the page and began reading.

_

* * *

_

The Next Morning

Manda whistled as she closed the door to her Volkswagen Bug and rummaged in her backpack for her keys. Then she noticed something- her journal was missing. Both her eyes widened in horror. Had she left it at home? Or had she left it at the bar she had gone to after that accidental kiss? Come to think of it, she hadn't recorded that once in a lifetime moment in her journal last night. Where did she leave it? Flinching as scenarios passed through her head, she opened the cafe, praying to God that she had left it inside the cafe.

* * *

Tsukasa was entranced by the words on the page. He was so absorbed that he didn't hear the door to the cafe open. He turned the page and his eyes widened at the date- it was the day that this entire mess with the chibi started.

_Today I saw Tsukasa; I hadn't seen him since my father took me to meet with Kaede. I hate the old geezer; how dare he turn down a marriage interview for me? And it had to be this one out of all of them! I didn't mind it when he turned down all those other losers, but for GOD's SAKE! This was TSUKASA DOMYOJI! The guy I've liked since I first saw him! It's times like these that I really regret not disassociating myself with my father sooner; then again, that request for a marriage interview wouldn't have come if I had done that, would it?  
Anyways, when I saw him come through the door, I couldn't help but think that maybe someone had slipped something into my mid-afternoon tea. I was so nervous I couldn't talk; but then I saw that he didn't even recognize me and it sort of pissed me off- that and the fact he was looking over at the girl that sat with the rest of the F4. I wonder why he wasn't sitting with them in the first place? -insert snicker- When I wrote that sentence it occurred to me- Tsukasa is so arrogant that he probably didn't want to be seen in the company of a commoner. Well anyways, I felt so dumb when my 'tough' act came out; I could've banged my head on the nearest wall. 'My name is Manda and I will be your server today and all that jazz.' WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM!?!? And why the HELL did I pretend not to know him! Geezus, I am SUCH a SPAZ._

Tsukasa couldn't repress a chuckle at that. Manda was a bit dorky..He had learned that much from his time being her personal slave. He put the book down, eyebrows furrowing. Why had she pretended not to know him? Then he shrugged, a smirk forming on his face. It didn't matter. Much of the journal had been like this, with Manda running a commentary (albeit a very funny one) on the events that had passed through the day- and judging from the date, she had been using this journal since her third year of high school. Tsukasa yawned softly and stretched his arms above his head, feeling his back muscles loosen up slightly and closed his eyes. Sitting against a wall with your head bent down was not the most comfortable position to sit in.

"Hmm.. maybe I left it in the kitchen?"

Tsukasa's eyes opened abruptly; when the hell did Manda get here? He slowly got to his knees and crawled over to the curtain separating the cozy alcove from the rest of the café. He moved it so that he could see out and cursed every living being (and their mother). When did she come back? Tsukasa went back to the corner and clutched the book to his chest as though it was a life jacket and he was drowning. What the hell was he going to do with it? It was obvious that she was looking for it; why else would she be looking for something with such an obviously worried tone? Tsukasa sighed and then got to his feet. He was Tsukasa Domyoji! He could return a journal… Maybe he could say that he came in to apologize for what happened yesterday and found it outside? No! There were many things he didn't do and apologizing for something that wasn't even his fault was like number two on that list. Maybe he could say that one of his friends found it and took it to the club he was at and was making fun of it, so he took it and decided to return it in person- to make fun of her?

"Yea that'll work!"

Tsukasa stood up just as a small hand reached for the curtain and threw it open. Bright sunlight flooded the room and just as Tsukasa recovered he saw Manda staring at him, confusion on her face.

"Tsukasa…?"

Tsukasa felt the book drop out of his hand and watched in horror as her eyes turned to the floor. Her eyes widened in utter amazement and she turned five shades of red. Then they narrowed slightly, just enough to remind Tsukasa of Tsubaki.

"You read my journal?"

Tsukasa stayed silent and was about to start edging toward the door when a sudden rush of anger flooded his being- most of it directed at him. He was _the _Tsukasa Domyoji! He read what he pleased and if it made someone else mad then to hell with it!

"And what if I did?"

Manda looked up at him, the red in her cheeks turning even more vibrant.

"What's with that arrogance in your tone?"

"Your week is over _chibi_! I can talk however I want."

Tsukasa's blood was boiling and he felt himself standing up straighter and slowly edging toward the small girl.

"What did I tell you about calling me chibi!?"

A small fist came flying his way but he caught it easily, pulling her close enough that he could see the small beads that were strung on a lock of curly hair.

"I told you- your week is over."

Manda's expression turned from anger to one of utter defeat. Her shoulders slumped and Tsukasa let her arm go. He picked up the book and thrust it in her hand, and then pushed aside the curtain so he could go out into the café.

"How did you get in without me noticing?"

He turned back to look at her and felt a shiver go up his spine. She had tears in her eyes! Tears! What the hell was he supposed to do about that?

"I came yesterday because…"

She looked up, a single tear making it's way down her cheeks something like hope in her brown eyes- eyes that looked so much like Makino's… He shook the notion away and walked out. He didn't know why he had stayed to watch her yesterday. It was as much a mystery to him as it was to Manda, maybe even more. He sighed when he saw it was raining hard but opened the door anyways. He walked out the door and pulled out his phone, scrolling down to his chauffer. He held the phone up to his ear, the dial tone making him impatient.

"TSUKASA!"

He turned around just as his chauffer answered. Manda was standing there in pouring rain, looking at him as though he was the only person on the sidewalk.

"WHAT I SAID YESTERDAY... IT WAS TRUE! SO… so... Plan on seeing me a lot more, okay?"

Tsukasa stared at her wide eyed. How could she stand there in the middle of a busy sidewalk, and proclaim her love, however abstractly, to him? She had to know it wouldn't matter- he had no intentions of taking a detour from chasing Makino, no matter how impossible it seemed. Somehow he would steal Makino away from Rui… At least that's what the larger part of his mind said- the other part screamed for him to listen carefully to Manda's words and at least consider them.

* * *

**Okay minna! That is the end of yet another chapter! –Robot appears out of nowhere and hands me ringing cell phone- **

**Me: Moshi mosh?**

**Tsukasa: Oy, why do I have to be the object of your affection?**

**Me: Not **_**my **_**affection, my **_**OC's **_**affection. There's a distinction.**

**Tsukasa: Bull ****! **

**Me: Tsk tsk tsk. You do know that Makino doesn't fall for guys with such language right? –Makino appears out of nowhere and nods-**

**Tsukasa: -faints-**

**Review?**


	15. Call It A Sacrifice

**Yo minna! Here's yet another chappie of my beloved story, for your enjoyment. Thanks go out as usual to Saranghae-Minnie (btw,loved your fic for my fic!), and b . aka-chan (sorry, -hangs head- I cannot kill Tsukasa..he's too smexy to die!) -robot hands both picture of Rui looking sexy- On with the show!**

* * *

"Tsubaki!"

Tsubaki's head shot up- Saranghae never dropped '-Sama' unless it was something terrible.

"What happened?"

"I've been found out!"

Tsubaki's eyes widened- how could someone have found Saranghae out? She was careful and inconspicuous... Unless...

"_That_ person was surveying Rui and Tsukushi when they were eating, and then earlier she was outside Manda's café."

Tsubaki's eyes grew larger. She had not wanted any of this to progress as quickly as it was- _that_ person's employer, whoever it was, was counting on that.

"When she saw me she came and whispered in my ear.. Here I have it recorded..."

Saranghae pulled out a small recording device and handed Tsubaki the second ear bud.

_"Sashiburi, Sara-chan. How are you finding this twisted version of a Midsummer's Night Dream? You know what though? None of these pairs belong. Rui with a commoner? Tsukasa with that ill bred girl? You know just as much as I that they will not last. It's an amusing story though; how does it feel to play Bottom? You are after all the Queen's pet!"_

A harsh laugh was the last thing that Tsubaki heard and then she turned to Saranghae, wondering how the hell the girl had known her best spy's first name.

"Why did she know your name? What relation is she to you?"

Saranghae turned slowly to look somberly at her trusted friend.

"She's my... She's my..."

"I'm her twin sister, Sarina ."

Tsubaki turned around to see a girl identical to Saranghae, save for astonishingly bright green orbs instead of the electric blue she was used to looking at.

"Who do you work for?"

Sarina advanced forward and Tsubaki felt Saranghae move slightly to the back.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sara-chan, after all these years I was gone you still haven't gotten over your fear of me? Maybe I should demonstrate what I've been learning in Africa on your dear friend here."

There was silence and then Tsubaki felt herself being moved so that she was in back of Saranghae.

"Who are you calling scared? If you're not going to tell us who you're working for then leave! You won't lay a hand on Tsubaki-sama!"

Sarina's mouth curled up in a predatory smile. Tsubaki cringed; it was an expression that shouted of cruel intentions.

"Isn't it obvious? Who's the person who took us in Sara-chan?"

The girl walked over to the window and in a blink of an eye she was gone.

"What did she mean by that?"

Saranghae turned around and with an apologetic expression bowed.

"Gomen... I haven't been completely honest... I'm actually Rui's distant cousin. When my sister and I were orphaned, his grandmother took us in."

Tsubaki's expression turned from one of confusion t one of utter horror.

"You mean as in..."

"Yes, Kanna Hanazawa; the corporate head of the Hanazawa Group by her late husband's will."

"This means…"

"If she's not happy with the way things are going with Rui or Tsukasa, now that the two groups merged, then she has the legal right to do what she feels needs to be done to rectify the situation."

Tsubaki leaned forward and the world seemed to sway in front of her. This was nowhere near over, not even close.

* * *

Rui lay on the couch, Tsukushi curled up beside him and snoring softly. The café had been closed when Tsukushi had reported to work, and the crudely scrawled note stuck on the door had been enough to convince the pair to go back home, where they had turned on the TV and like clockwork Tsukushi had fallen asleep halfway through the rerun of Hana Kimi. **(A/n: had to do it!) **Rui himself was dozing in and out of sleep when he heard a series of knocks on the door. Being careful not to jostle Tsukushi, he got up and walked over to the door, stretching his sore back muscles. Rubbing his eye thoughtfully, he opened up the door and then felt his jaw drop to the floor. In the doorway stood the slight but imposing body of his grandmother, in a white kimono with black around the edges, and her flowing gray hair loose. He could've groaned aloud; while his grandfather had thought the world of him, his grandmother was a different story. At the ripe age of sixty something, Kanna Hanazawa was the epitome of controlling- to her he was at most a snot nosed brat completely devoid of any sensibility and needed to be supervised at all times. A sort of shiver ran up his spine; she was here because of Tsukushi, he was sure of it. Why couldn't his family leave things as they were!? He had already left, per his father's request only taking his inheritance (which he had long since put in a high interest account and left to multiply) Why was this woman, who could compete with Tsukasa's mom in sheer evilness, here now?!

"Rui."

"Obaa-sama."

"Aren't you going to invite me into this hovel? We have much to discuss."

Making a visible effort to bite his tongue, he opened the door wider so that his grandmother and her troupe of black clad body guards made their way into Tsukushi's apartment. His grandmother cast a look at the still sleeping girl and then turning her nose up into the air, sat down in the loveseat across from the couch.

"Come Rui; like I said we have much to discuss and I do not intend on losing valuable time."

Rui stood next to the doorway, making his eyes as icy as her tone.

"There is nothing to discuss; I have severed ties with the Hanazawa family. You need not have any worries about the company passing onto me and being 'sullied' as my father put it one time."

She merely chuckled, an evil glint in her steel eyes.

"You thought that was the end? You are still so naïve, more proof that you are unfit to make your own decisions!"

Rui stormed over to the loveseat and swallowed his pride, bowing.

"I understand the consequences of severing ties with the Hanazawa Group, please honor my decision, grandmother."

He stayed in that position for a few moments before he chanced a peek. The evil woman had an indifferent expression; damn it! What did she want from him?

"That is impossible."

She pulled a document from the folds of her kimono and handed him a sleek folder. He took it, straightening up. When Rui saw the contents he felt himself pale. It was a contract he signed over a year ago stating that he would marry the girl his grandmother approved of. He had signed it a little after the anniversary of the day his grandfather died... He hadn't anticipated that he would defy his entire family.. He hadn't thought that any girl could affect him like Tsukushi had. He had always assumed that he would marry the girl that his family deemed suitable and live out an otherwise normal life.

"Please grandmother! Reconsider! I was only eighteen when I signed this- That was more than six years ago... My feelings have changed!"

The woman scowled.

"Feelings or no, you signed the contract. I do not approve of this girl; pack your things and move back to your home immediately!"

'Home'? That empty house had never been his home! Rui felt his cheeks turn red with his rage. How dare this woman who didn't even know him ,assume he'd follow her orders so easily?

"My home is here with Tsukushi! That empty house is not a home. A home is where you feel at ease. A place where you can laugh and smile and enjoy life! Wherever Tsukushi is- that is my home!"

His grandmother's face contorted into an expression of utter fury.

"Is that your final answer?"

"Yes, and until the day I die it will stay the same."

His grandmother gestured for her posse to go out the door and Rui couldn't help but wince at the gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach; the door echoed ominously when it will closed.

* * *

Tsukushi was clearing a table by the massive front window when a woman in a clear white kimono walked into the shop. She finished up the table and then rushed over to the podium in the front.

"Table for one?"

The woman nodded and Tsukushi was struck by awe. Her silver hair was done up in an elegant knot, without a single hair out of place. Up close Tsukushi could tell that there was a faint gray heron print on the right side of the kimono, which only served to make the woman seem more formidable.

"Iie; I am here on business. Are you Makino-san?"

Tsukushi nodded and set down the small menu back onto the podium.

"What do you need?"

"For you to cut all ties with my grandson."

Tsukushi's eyes almost bugged out at that; surely this was a joke...?

"I'm sorry- I don't think I heard that correctly."

The woman scoffed and motioned for Tsukushi to follow her to a corner.

"Consider this your break. I'll be frank about this- I do not like your relationship with Rui. Sever all ties with him immediately! The Hanazawa family has no need of filthy, ill bred ,commoner blood mixed in with our own elite blood!"

Tsukushi was without words for a few seconds, then her mind went on autopilot. She stood up and bowed slightly in respect.

"I'm sorry; I can't do that. Rui... Well I love him. I can't bear it if he's not with me.. I shudder at the thought of him holding some other girl's hand and whispering sweet words in her ear..."

"In other words you are being selfish? Have you not thought about how this has effected Rui? Not even a third of a year have you known him and he has already lost sight of so much. He will not inherit, his family has abandoned him, and for what? Love? Utterly absurd!"

Tsukushi's eyes widened impossibly. She hadn't considered that. Was Rui really okay with her lifestyle? Was he really ready to give up his company, along with the only life he'd ever known? Was she so in love with him that she was holding him back out of her own selfishness?

"From the look in your eyes, you understand what I'm saying. If you truly love him you will sever all ties with my grandson; if you do so then we will take him back into our family, he will inherit and you will be nothing more than a blip on his record."

Tsukushi sat there numbly, processing this woman's words. There was no choice- she had to leave. That was the only way Rui could be happy... Maybe she'd go visit her family in Hokkaido and by the time she came back, Rui would've moved on and be on the road to inherit again.

"I understand; I will leave here for a short while and then Rui will be free from me..."

The woman's face lit up in a horrible smile and Tsukushi bowed to signal her exit; she didn't want Rui's grandmother to see the tears forming in her eyes.

* * *

"Date?"

Tsukasa looked at Manda incredulously. Was this tyrant chibi really asking him out on a _date_ of all things?

"Yes, and if you say no I'll still follow you around so if you think about it, having a date instead of having a stalker sounds better ,ne?"

At least he could report a stalker to the police.

"Doesn't sound like much of a choice."

With that Tsukasa walked away, expecting to hear her soft footsteps next to him.

"Oy, aren't you coming?"

He turned around in time to see Manda's face light up. She ran over to him, a smile on her face and intertwined her arm with his own; he flinched involuntarily when she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Where do you want to go Tsu-ka-sa~?"

"Don't act like this is actual date- I'm just humoring you."

He wasn't at all surprised when she pretended not to hear him. She pulled him over to a small window front and began 'oohing' and 'aahing' over the various items on display. He stayed quiet and while he didn't enjoy the fact that he was almost an unwilling party in this event, he didn't have anything negative to say about the slightly eccentric girl.

"Ah... Wait for me here, I saw someone. Hey! Wait- Huni-chan!"

She went running after a short person with, from what he could see, blonde hair. **(a/n: once again, just had to do it- Ouran fans you can guess who this is)** Tsukasa sighed and cursing Manda's ADD slouched against the wall, cell phone in hand. He played a couple games of Tetris when an innocuous shadow passed by him. Had he been paying a bit more attention, he would have seen a wizened figure in a pure white kimono.

* * *

Manda was slightly out of breath when she lost sight of Huni. For such a short kid he was really fast. She was turning back to go find Tsukasa ,when she found herself face to face with a person she had never wanted to see again- Kanna Hanazawa.

"Nice to see you Shika-san."

Manda gritted her teeth; she hated this woman almost as much as Tsukasa's mother, if not more. It was with great effort that she forced herself to put on a steely smile.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Stop chasing after Tsukasa."

At least she couldn't accuse the woman of beating around the bush.

"Why is whom I '_chase_ '"

Manda almost snarled the word.

"any of your concern?"

The woman gave her a steely glare.

"You know that the Domyoji group recently merged with the Hanazawa group right? Tsukasa is next in line to inherit and as overseer of financial affairs of both groups, it is my responsibility to assure neither Rui or Tsukasa associate themselves with _riff-raff._"

Manda bit her tongue-hard. Why did everyone find it their business to meddle in relationships? So what if they were heirs to multi-billion dollar groups?Weren't they human all the same? Did status really dictate the amount of love you were allowed to have?

"I see you are not convinced. How about a different approach then? How do you think Tsukasa would fare in world more like a commoner's than that of what he's used to?"

"Are you threatening me?"

The woman smirked.

"Not you- Tsukasa. How do you think Tsukasa would feel about being disowned because a girl whom he doesn't even love is persistent?"

Manda's eyes widened. This woman! She knew what cards to play, and she played them well.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Leave for a while- two weeks at the most. By that time I can assure you that Tsukasa will have moved on."

Fighting back tears, Manda bowed slightly and said her next word almost inaudibly.

"Hai,"

* * *

Tsukushi sat on the floor of her room, zipping up her nondescript black suitcase. It had enough clothes for two weeks, her toiletries and a picture of Rui she had printed from her computer a week earlier. It showed Rui beaming in a red apron Manda had conned him into wearing that read 'Kiss the chef'. Needless to say, Tsukushi had taken the advice and promptly laid one on him- it was about three seconds later that Manda had snapped the shot with Tsukushi's camera. Tsukushi put the picture in the front pocket of the small carry on backpack and stared longingly at Rui's side of the bed. A wayward tear made it's way down her cheek and Tsukushi bit her lip in frustration. She was Tsukushi, the tough weed! Besides if it was for Rui's sake, she could do it; she _would _do it. She would disappear from Rui's life- he would move on. Then someday far from now she would see him on TV, making an announcement about something going on in his company, and though her heart would have long since broken, it would throb for her lost love. Tsukushi picked up her things and laid down the letter she wrote him hours ago, when she had still been processing everything; when she had been blissfully numb. Tsukushi wheeled her suitcase to the living room where Rui had long since fallen asleep. She left her things by the door and then walked over slowly to where Rui slept, an angelic expression on his beautiful face. She knelt down and stroked his soft hair, wishing that she could've had him longer.. That she didn't have to leave. Feeling more tears gathering, she bent down slowly and kissed his soft lips, so fleetingly that it would be just enough not to crumble her resolve. Then as she began getting up she stopped at his ear.

"I love you Rui... for now and forever."

Still battling the tears, Tsukushi picked up her things at the front door and got into the elevator. Hesitating just a little bit, she pushed the button to go down. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of her small electric blue car and the finality of it all hit her. Letting the tears free, Tsukushi loaded up her things into her small car and began driving down the long road that would eventually take her to Hokkaido.

* * *

Rui knew something was wrong the moment he woke up. For one thing, there was a small droplet of water lingering on his cheek- another thing was that the apartment was deathly quiet. None of the usual sounds were present. No sound of Tsukushi softly snoring, nor that of a wet load drying in the washer, or the clacking of the keyboard. Just deathly silence. Rui bolted up from the sofa and scanned the viscinity for Tsukushi. Everything was perfectly normal and all was in it's place. Then he saw something white on the coffee table. Moving to the right edge of the sofa, he saw it was a white envelope. Tentatively he reached forward and grasped the piece of paper in his hand, a feeling of foreboding settling into the pit of his stomach. He opened the flap of the envelope to reveal another paper, looking as though it had been painstakingly folded. He opened it and immediately identified the slanted slightly large writing as Tsukushi's.

_"And so she left the glade, feeling as though her heart had been shorn in two. Looking back at the once dark creature that now slept so peacefully across her bed, she knew that she could not stay a moment longer. In order to save him, she had to leave him, though it pained her to do so. She stretched her translucent wings and flew off into the now gray sky; at that moment colors had ceased to exist for her. There was only one color and it's varying shades- gray."_

Rui didn't even need to look at the text below the excerpt to know it was from the book that had brought him and Tsukushi together- Dark Angel. Just then the reality of the situation hit him like a wrecking ball. Tsukushi had left. He scanned the passage for some hidden meaning. When he saw that some of the ink had been smudged, it all clicked. Tsukushi hadn't wanted to leave, but she had been convinced otherwise that she had to- for his sake. Rui's eyes narrowed as he realized who was behind it; his grandmother. Hadn't the woman just come to him, demanding he go back to that lonely house? Was it too much to presume that she had convinced -or maybe even threatened- Tsukushi that something bad would happen to him if she didn't leave? Rui folded the paper and slipped it into his front pocket. First things first- he needed to find Tsukushi. Then he would deal with his grandmother and the rest of the world if need be. However, he would not do it alone; he would do it with Tsukushi by his side.

* * *

**And so ends another chapter! Sorry bout the cliffie, but my muse just runs off without so much as a warning and I'm forced to wait for her to calm down. In any case, one of my darker chappies so I'd really appreciate your feedback as I don't have much practice writing these kind of chappies. Review?**


	16. Call It True Love

**Minna! -hyper- thank you very much for your support! In a bit, I'm going to post a poll on my profile and you -points to everyone- will have a say on what could happen next! Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie, Illuminating-Darkness, and b . aka-chan! You all are badass and I really love the fact that you all have stayed with me throughout this entire drama-fic! **

**Saranghae-Minnie: Gomen! I had absolutely no intention of stomping on your heart ;-; I fixed it though ;) You'll see! As always I love your review! 3**

* * *

Kanna Hanazawa sat in the back of a pitch black limousine, complete with tinted windows. Her face was composed, not a single emotion on her face- which is how she liked it. Despite her son's failure, she had succeeded in convincing both girls that their beloved's were better off without them. If a situation went wrong, she was in control of it- well except for that one situation that would be the bane of her existence. Up front was Sarina, her sister being that one embarrassing mistake. Sarina and her sister had been orphaned and even though they were only related to her through marriage, Kanna had been kind enough to take both unruly twins in. Sarina had been easy to bend to her will; Saranghae however, could not contain herself at all. And then one day after they had fought, she disappeared; her stuff was gone and the next she heard of Saranghae, she was working for that miserable excuse for a daughter that Kaede had- Tsubaki. She stifled a chuckle. She hadn't completely lost her sway over the girl though; according to Sarina, her sister had cowered before she had pulled out what little bravado she had and spoken out. Apparently some of the training she had given them had left her more shaken than she had let on at the time. Chuckling a little louder she felt the car come to a stop and heard Sarina's soft voice telling her that they were home. It was only when the door opened and she saw those damning blue eyes did she panic. The last thing she saw before she fainted was Sarina on the ground, struggling against her bonds.

* * *

Saranghae grunted as she lifted the old hag onto a plush chair. Just touching her was bringing on a plethora of memories that she'd rather keep repressed. Letting go of the evil woman, her gaze strayed over to Sarina who was glaring at her, green eyes ablaze with fury.

"Hello sister."

"You are no sister of mine; I do not associate myself with spineless creatures."

Saranghae ignored her and resisted the urge to hit her twin.

"You call me spineless? I have more of a spine for leaving that house!"

Her sister's lip curled in disgust.

"What you call bravery was merely an excuse for cowardice! You should've been honored to be chosen as one of Our Lady's bodyguards- what do you do instead? You threw it in her face! You left because you couldn't handle it! You left because you were we-"

Saranghae's hand swung forward, causing an angry red mark on her sister's otherwise flawless cheek.

"Don't you dare call me weak! Who is it that scavenged fo you when we had no one?! Who took care of you before that evil incarnate bitch brainwashed you?! Who left the lap of luxury because she'd rather not be subjected to the evil whims of that woman!?"

Saranghae felt a tear run down her cheek and she abruptly turned away, and stormed out the door.

* * *

Tsubaki entered the room, knowing that Saranghae was not in there; she had heard everything from her office that was next to the living area that she'd had the two women placed in. She walked over to where Kanna sat slumped in her chair, still unconscious, and knelt down by the arm of the chair.

"Kanna-sama, wake up.. Kanna-sama wake up."

The woman stirred and then blinked her eyes warily; when she caught sight of Tsubaki, her eyes widened all the way and then in the next instant narrowed.

"Why have you brought me here?"

Tsubaki gave her an angelic smile.

"Where are Tsukushi and Manda headed? I assumed you would know because from my observations, your entire guard left you to trail them, per _your_ request."

The elderly woman snarled.

"Why should I have to answer to a child?"

"Because it is this child that now holds half of the Hanazawa Groups stocks; what effect would it have if my money were to be withdrawn?"

The old woman's eyes narrowed further as she realized that she was about to be outdone.

"Surely you wouldn't do that; after all what would become of Rui now that he intends to return to the Hanazawa Group?"

"I have no such intentions, grandmother."

From the shadows Rui appeared, a ghost in all white. His face was not haggard per se but it did show signs of a person who had not rested well. Rui had been up all night, canvassing people who had any relation to Tsukushi, asking if they had seen her or knew where she was headed. It was when she was coming out of a bookstore that she saw Rui, looking completely forlorn. Then everything that Kanna had done in the last 48 hours had come out, pieced together by Rui in a stroke of absolute brilliance; however no one had gotten around to telling Tsukasa that Manda had left also.

"What is the meaning of this Rui? Wasn't that girl the only reason you won't return? She left, which means you have no business _not_ returning!"

Tsubaki sight when she saw Rui's face slip into his blank façade. She almost felt as though she should warn Kanna that she'd better tread carefully. Tsubaki herself had only seen Rui angry maybe once or twice, that in itself was kind of scary, then combined with almost no sleep, and the fact that Tsukushi was gone because of the woman- Tsubaki knew this would be something akin to a nuclear bomb.

* * *

Rui was far past caring how his words came off or whether he offended his grandmother. The facts were that his girlfriend was _gone_ because of her, he hadn't slept _at all_ the night before and he was tired of his family sticking their noses where they didn't belong!

"I told you didn't I? I will not return to that place! My home is wherever Tsukushi is and if you have a problem with it, then do your worst! You've disowned me and my father has severed ties with me! I don't care about any of that! Tsukushi is the only thing that matters to me! She brought me out of the apathetic world I used to live in! I'm _happy_ so why can't any of you just leave it at that?! Do you honestly think if Grandpa were alive he'd want things to be like this?!"

Rui didn't care that his grandmother's eyes teared up at the mention of his grandfather. She had always been strict, but her husband's death turned her bitter and cold. She didn't care what happened to others, so long as they served her purposes was she content. Well, Rui would make it so that she started to care- even if he had to use cruel words.

"How dare you bring your grandfather into this? He has nothin-"

"He has everything to do with this! You became a bitter and cruel after he died!"

His grandmother didn't say anything; her head was hung and Rui could tell from the dark spots on her kimono that she was crying. Any other time he would've relented, would've taken back the words- but his grandmother had crossed a line.

"Makino is going to Hokkaido to stay with her family."

"And Manda?"

"To Okinawa."

Rui nodded and after sending a glance full of thanks to Tsubaki left the room, not caring that the last thing he heard were his grandmother's sobs.

* * *

Tsukasa rounded the corner and was surprised that nobody bowled him over or that he didn't hear Manda's shout over the crowd. After that day when Manda had told him she wasn't giving up, she had been almost annoyingly persistent- almost. He walked to the café and felt an odd sense of foreboding when he saw a sloppily scrawled sign saying 'Gone for vacation' stuck on the door from the inside. How dare she leave without telling him? Tsukasa stiffened. Since when did he care what the chibi brat did? He didn't even like her. No, no.. She was more of a kid sister... He sighed. If she was his kid sister why did he feel a tug on his heart?

* * *

Tsukushi lay on her parent's bed, her eyes sore and raw from all the crying she had done. It was harder to leave Rui than she thought. She thought that maybe she could just collect all of her memories and put them in a box and mail it off somewhere in the recesses of her mind- she was sadly mistaken. Instead of getting rid of the memories, she had dwelled on the smallest details. Like the little crinkle that formed in between Rui's forehead when he laughed. Or that one inconspicuous dimple on his right cheek. Or the way his eyes seemed to hypnotize her when he leaned in to kiss her. Damn it! Tsukushi let out a soft wail of despair and thanked the God's that no one was in her parents small apartment at the moment. It hurt to smile when she was so broken inside. She hadn't even told Rui where she was going... She felt the soft caress of a tear and laughed out of hysteria; she had cried so much that it surprised her that she hadn't become dehydrated... She sat up, wiping away the offending drop of liquid. On the ride over here she had come to terms with the fact that she had no right to monopolize Rui like she had- they had spent so much time together that the only memories she had when she was alone was when she took a shower- well except for that one time... She smacked herself. She couldn't think about that! It would just be too painful. She reached over to the box of tissues and pulled one out, promptly blowing her nose. She flopped back down on the bed, closing her eyes.

"_Tsukushi!"_

Said girl opened her eyes; that voice... It had sounded so much like Rui's... It was probably just a prelude to a painfully wonderful dream; she closed her eyes again.

"_Tsukushi! Answer the door!"_

What the... Tsukushi bit her lip. Why couldn't she even sleep in peace? Didn't her mind understand that all she wanted was to repress all those memories for her own good? Just as she was about to start on her mental tirade, the doorbell rang. Groaning, Tsukushi got up off her mother's bed which was cloaked in the familiar and comforting scent of her mother's perfume. Morosely she padded down the hallway and stood at the door, wishing (although it went against what she needed to do) that on the other side of the ocean blue door would stand her marble eyed prince. She reached for the doorknob as the doorbell went off again. The door swung open and her eyes widened when she saw the ever familiar figure of her beloved.

"Rui..."

* * *

Rui launched himself at Tsukushi, hugging her tightly to him. He had never been so lost in his life as he had been the last day and a half. He didn't care whether it was chance or fate or just pure luck; he didn't want to be apart from Tsukushi.

"Why are you here?"

Rui pulled back and kissed her hard on the lips; with a little coaxing Tsukushi returned the kiss with the same amount (if not more) passion. He pulled away, a soft smile on his face.

"I told my father didn't I? I'd rather fall into the pits of hell than be without you."

With one last sweet smile he kissed her softly, very much aware that his most precious person was back in his arms.

* * *

**One case of familial unrest mostly resolved! -dramatic announcer voice- Will Tsukasa realize his feelings for Manda or will he continue to chase Tsukushi and finish wrenching apart his friendship with Rui? What other surprises await these four starry eyed individuals? All this and more on -dramatic music- Call it Fate! Review?**


	17. Call It A Poll

**Yay 70 Reviews! Okay so this is NOT an actual chapter- just a short author's note. **

**Okay so like I said last chapter there is a poll and it has several paths the story could take- vote so I can write the next chapter! Because I'm too lazy I'll just operate the poll from this authors note! Just read below and drop a review with your answer! **

**The question is: What should happen to Tsukasa?**

**Choices:**

**Should he keep chasing Tsukushi**

**Or give up and go for Manda**

**It may seem like a pointles question, but this is really significant to the story and I cannot write the next chappie without this- so vote!**

**Love, **

**EmoEccentrica**


	18. Call It A Decision

**Okay minna-san here are the results of the poll:**

**3 'chase Manda'**

**3 'chase Tsukushi'**

**It would've been 'chase Manda' that won, but my friend who was reading it decided to tell me her vote in person. Which means a tie! And what does that mean? Just wait and see! Thanks go out to those of you who voted and reviewed: Saranghae-Minnie, b . aka-chan, bunny-chan2821, Spoutnik, ratty, and annna. Btw, per request by Saranghae-Minnie, I will be posting an OST for this fic on my profile! :P Without further ado, here's the real chapter 17 of Call It Fate! **

* * *

Tsukasa was staring blankly at his cell phone. Earlier he had been told that Makino was missing, but just as he had been about to start a search of his own, Rui called to tell him that he had found Makino himself. That in itself isn't what had Tsukasa puzzled; it was the tone that Rui had told him in. It was as though he was telling _him_ to stay away! Tsukasa growled slightly. Hadn't he told Rui that their truce was only for that moment when Chibi ad Co. were in jeopardy? Didn't he make it clear that he was not going to give up on Makino, no matter who she _thought_ she loved? Tsukasa leaned back on the cool leather of his couch. Rui definitely had an advantage- he was living with her. But that didn't mean he would win; that just meant that he would have to work harder.

_Knock, knock, knock_ .

"Come in."

Tsukasa looked up and saw his sister peeking into the room, as though looking for something...

"What do you want?"

She smiled at him, a puzzled expression blatant on her face.

"Where's Manda-chan?"

Tsukasa's eyes immediately narrowed. Did he look like the chibi's keeper? Sure the girl followed him practically every waking moment, pretending she was his girlfriend but that didn't mean anything.

"How the hell should I know? All I know is that she's on vacation of something."

"You sound irritated."

Tsukasa made a face at that.

"Of course I am; Do I look like the chibi's keeper?"

Tsubaki just smiled softly.

"You care more than you're willing to admit."

"Care about what?"

Tsubaki's grin just widened.

"About Manda-chan."

"Not really. She's just one of the many girls who have fallen for my charms."

"She's the only one whose feelings are strong enough for her to act on her love though."

That struck a small part of him; it was a small part, but it was enough for a rush of memories to flow through his brain- most of them featuring the chibi herself. Manda dragging him to the library. Manda desperately trying to reach a frog plushy on a high shelf. Manda smiling up at him when she tripped and he offered her his hand. Manda trying to carry their meal of ramen and miso soup to their table at the cafe and him rescuing the tray when she nearly dropped it. His eyes widened as he searched for memories of Makino and he found only a few and not nearly as pleasant. Wait! Did he just associate being _stalked_ and _pestered_ with the word _pleasant?_

He thought he heard Tsubaki mumble 'I told you so,' as she exited the room, but Tsukasa was too far gone to care.

* * *

Manda lay on her back, staring up at the hotel ceiling. She didn't want to be here, as beautiful the ocean was; it wasn't the same without Tsukasa.

_Flashback_

_"Ne Tsukasa , let's go to the beach sometime!"_

_Tsukasa turned around, looking at her as though she was crazy. _

_"It'll be fun!"_

_He turned, a slight frown on his face._

_"It's more likely that I'll have to save you from a giant squid than I'll have fun."_

_Manda scowled, her spirits slightly dampened. She loved the beach- her mom used to take her to their villa in Okinawa when she was still alive. Ever since then she only went with people who meant a lot to her- people who she trusted implicitly with her past. _

_"There's no such thing as a giant squids."_

_Manda began to walk away, but when she turned around she saw Tsukasa nod in her direction, his expression looking conflicted._

_"I"ll go only because it would make Makino sad if you got lost at sea or something."_

_End flashback_

Manda sighed. It didn't matter that Tsukasa had promised only because of his concern for Tsukushi's feelings. The point was that he'd agreed to go with her. And now because of Kanna she probably would never be able to take him to the beach; her deadline to woo him was quickly approaching.

_Flashback_

_Tsubaki sat in front of her, a serious expression on her usually serene face. _

_"What do you mean by that?"_

_"I mean that if Tsukasa doesn't fall in love with you before the day he takes over the company officially, you will lose your chance forever."_

_"And Tsukasa agreed to the bet?"_

_Tsubaki nodded and moved over to the large bay window of her room. _

_"Saranghae was watching that night- Tsukasa came home late and missed a marriage interview. To get revenge my mother cooked up the bet and being the arrogant idiot he is, Tsukasa accepted." __**(a/n: see chapter 3). **_

_Manda hung her head, a sense of dread filling her entire being. She loved Tsukasa- she was sure of that, but how the hell was she going to get him to reciprocate those feelings?_

_End Flashback_

It had been no accident that Kanna had told her disappear for two weeks. Friday, which was tomorrow, was the end of the two months. Her time was up- there was no way she had turned his heart to her. A tear slipped down as the finality of it all hit her.

* * *

Rui was coming up the stairs to Tsukushi's apartment with her suitcase when he caught sight of a very familiar set of curls.

"Tsukasa why are you here?"

Tsukasa leaned against the door to Tsukushi's apartment, as though it was normal for him to drop by unannounced.

"I told you- our truce was only when the girls were at the hotel. I'm here to take Makino out on a date."

Rui scowled; why the hell didn't Tsukasa just give up. **(a/n: -insert maniacal laughter-)**

"Go home Tsukasa, neither me or Tsukushi are in the mood to deal with your jokes right now."

He was telling the truth; apparently Tsukushi hadn't slept either, and he had long since learned that irritation did not bode well with Tsukushi when she was tired.

"Joke? I'm serious Rui! I love Makino. The only thing that separates us is you!"

Rui huffed, not in the mood to even dignify that with an answer. He'd let his friend be delusional for a while longer- after all it was painfully obvious that all the time he spent with Manda had changed him.

"What about Manda?"

Tsukasa just stared at him, his eyes guarded. That struck a nerve.

"What about her?"

"Are you sure that if someone were to snatch her up that you wouldn't be the least bit sad? She may love you but there's only so much chasing one person can do before they get tired."

With that Rui pushed Tsukasa out of the way and entered into the hallway of the apartment, setting down Tsukushi's bag. Now he had to go get Tsukushi; she had fallen asleep halfway through the trip.

* * *

Tsukasa watched as Rui descended down the stairwell, then followed after. Rui had chosen his words correctly; he'd asked the one question that he had been asking himself ever since his second accidental kiss. Did he love Makino? Of course. Did he love the chibi though? Sure he had fond memories and she'd made him laugh on occasion and while it was true that the thought of Manda holding another guys hand made him cringe, he just didn't know if that was love. His cell phone rang just as he reached his car.

"What do you want?"

Nishida's cool voice answered on the other end.

"Tsukasa-sama, the final arrangements for the ceremony need to be dealt with."

"What ceremony?"

"The one declaring you as the new head of the company."

Tsukasa's eyes went wide. Somehow he'd forgotten that his two months had been nearing an end- now there was no more time. Tomorrow, he was set to inherit the Group officially and he'd lost the bet; his mother would be insufferable.

"Tsukasa-sama?"

"I have other engagements deal with it without me."

He hung up the phone and then dialed the last person on earth who he'd ever want to turn to help for.

"Tsubaki, I need to know where Manda is and quick."

The line was silent, only broken with Tsubaki's slight chuckle.

"Took you long enough to figure it out; she's at Yoshida Hotel in Okinawa."

Tsukasa's jaw dropped; what the hell was that chibi doing in Okinawa!?

"Tsukasa, listen and listen carefully. Go to her only if you're sure of your feelings. Once you go to her there is no turning back, because once she is involved so is the Shika group by association."

"Wakkata; I get it. No half assed feelings."

Tsukasa hung up the phone and got into his car, which he had gotten some time ago- it was a gold Lamborghini. When Nishida announced that his time was up, something had dawned on him- he may not know whether his feelings for Manda were completely pure, but they were there. He wasn't going to marry some compliant woman- who knows maybe he was a masochist? Or maybe he just was attracted to strong willful women? All he knew was that he wasn't ready to let the chibi go yet. With that thought he threw the car into drive and sped over to his private heliport. He'd go to Okinawa and drag the willful and clumsy chibi, even if he had to use force.

* * *

**Gomen minna! ;_; Like my OC, my muse is willful and has once more run from me. Sorry for the shortness... Not my favorite chapter ever... Review?**


	19. Call It The Lighting Before The Storm

**Yo minna! Yay 79 reviews! I am updating from my phone cos I'm grounded so I'll mention those who reviewed on the last chapter,next chapter.. So without further ado here's chapter 18!**

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Manda sat on the bed of her hotel room rubbing her eyes, visibly exhausted. She stretched, pressing the button to turn her stereo on and walked towards the closet on the other side of the room, the only thought in her unusually sluggish mind being that she couldn't sleep all day- no matter how depressing the day was. Maybe she would go down to the beach, and get picked up or something... It wouldn't mean anything of course but maybe if she wasn't alone then she could somehow forget that Tsukasa never had any feelings for her to begin with. That's when she heard helicopter wings. Pausing in midstep Manda rushed over to the huge bay window overlooking the sea and looked out at the clear blue sky. Could it be...? Seeing nothing, her shoulders slumped and Manda forewent her plans of going out, a new wave of depression hitting her like a tsunami. It was a stupid idea anyway- no way would Tsukasa travel all the way from Tokyo just to take her back. Manda opened the freezer of the small refrigerator and saw a small tub of ice cream; just what she needed- comfort food. She opened up the small carton, grabbed a spoon and began eating the sweet cold strawberry flavored treat. Just as she was making a sizeable dent, there was a series of impatient knocks on her door. A frown creasing her usually happy face, she put down the tub and went to answer the door, forgetting completely that she was still dressed only in her tank top and black and green boy shorts. She threw open the door, eyes widening when she took in the tall figure standing in the doorway.

"Tsukasa..."

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa paced in front of the door; the clerk in the front said this was the chibi's room so why was she taking so long to open the door? Especially when he came all this way for her! Then the door creaked open, and he whirled around. His eyes widened- what the hell was the chibi wearing? Clad in only a green tank top and short boy shorts a thick blush covered his usually pale cheeks.

"Tsukasa...?TSUKASA!"

Then he was tackled and consequently flew into the wall behind him, Manda (unintentionally) straddling his legs. He shifted beneath her causing her knees to fall off of his leg and onto the floor, a sigh of relief passed through his lips. Manda wasn't exactly light.

"Oy chibi! Get off of me! Is this your own weird attempt at seductio-"

Tsukasa's eyes widened as he was silenced by Manda, who had pressed her lips to his. He resisted a bit, but found himself getting caught up in the moment. She smelled like strawberries and her lips, unlike last time, were soft and sensual- coaxing his own reluctant ones to participate. Her hand found his and their fingers intertwined. Her small hand fit perfectly with his and was unbelievably warm. Suddenly that part of him that had convinced him to chase after the girl in the first place broke free of it's chains and took over his mind. His free hand went to the back of Manda's waist and pulled her closer to him; close enough to feel her heartbeat against his. There was nothing except for the two of them- not even the fact that they were making out in a public hallway seemed to matter. All that mattered was they were here, in this moment together. Slowly Manda pulled away, breath ragged and her pale cheeks flushed.

"Even if it is only this moment.. Only this one kiss.. As long as it is you.. That is enough for me."

Tsukasa really looked at her, saw past his usual perception of her. Here was a girl who loved him- loved him so much that she persevered through his constant insults, bouts of selfishness and just cruelty in general. With a soft smile he pulled his girl close to him and wordlessly pressed his lips against hers again, welcoming the fire that consumed them both.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Tsukushi watched Rui as he bought ice cream from a street vendor. With a devious smile he brought back a single cone and Tsukushi chuckled softly. Then _they_ appeared. Four men in black suits were approaching her and she shot Rui an apprehensive glance; he ran the rest of the distance. The men showed no concern over this.

"Do you know where Domyoji-sama is?"

Tsukushi's eyes narrowed slightly; why were they looking for Tsukushi here? Shouldn't he be over at the headquarters or something? From what Rui had told her, today was the day Tsukasa officially took over the Group. Rui handed her the ice cream and encircled her waist from behind, resting his chin on her head.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Rui rested his chin on Tsukushi's head, trying to stay calm. Where was Tsukasa? The black clad men shot him a dubious glance and then shook their heads in unison answering his earlier question. He let go of Tsukushi and rummaged in his pocket for his phone.

"If you hear anything let us know."

He nodded, pretending to enter a number into his phone; he had a pretty good idea where his curly haired friend was but he wasn't going to be telling these guys anytime soon. Looking up, he found that the guys had left. He turned to Tsukushi, who was absentmindedly licking the soft serve. Feeling a devious grin come over his face, Rui leaned forward and licked the spot where Tsukushi's tongue had been only a moment before, his eyes boring into his innocent girlfriend's brown eyes. She stared at him and then with an unprecedented stroke of playfulness, she licked the spot directly next to his tongue. Rui smirked and kissed her softly, ignoring the cold of the ice cream that smeared itsełf across his chin. Their lips touched shyly at first, but that changed quickly as Tsukushi's arms draped around his neck, pulling him to her. The warmth of her lips against his was intoxicating, and he had to force himself to pull away otherwise he'd be in trouble later; he smiled exultantly when he saw that oh so enticing pink on her cheeks.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa smiled as he pulled out of the kiss, utterly at peace. Manda was a mess, her curly hair out of the bun she'd had it in. Tsukasa smirked then got to his feet pulling up Manda along with him. She swayed slightly and he pulled her close to him.

"I can't believe it took me this long to figure out what I had right in front of me."

He heard her gasp slightly; her mouth forming a pink 'o'. He leaned down again, the memory of those lips on his fresh in his mind. Then his phone began vibrating, sufficiently ruining the moment. Giving her an apologetic glance he pulled out his phone from his pocket, glaring at it.

"Nani?!"

"Tsukasa where are you?"

He stiffened at the sound of his mother's voice. Why the hell was she calling him?

"I'm in Okinawa with..."

He looked down at the small girl who looked nervous and smiled mischievously.

"..my girlfriend."

Manda grasped his hand a convivial smile on her face.

"Who is this girl? Why haven't I met her?"

"Ah, you've met her before- it's the daughter of the Shika Group."

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

"...daughter of th Shika Group."

Kaede let out a sarcastic laugh. Her pitiful son had a lot of gall to tell her such an obvious lie. Hadn't that sad excuse for a girl told her that Tsukasa's feelings for her were at best platonic?

"Why do you lie to me Tsukasa? You've lost the bet, so why bother trying to escape your fate?"

"Ah you don't believe me. Hold on I'll send you proof."

There was some shuffling on the other end and then a click.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa pulled Manda closer to him, wrapping an arm around her waist and then bent down to kiss her hard on the lips; he had to be careful to let it last only a few seconds, otherwise he would lose himself and the hag would think he had conceded to her will. Then when Manda was sufficiently distracted he snapped the picture. Smiling evilly he sent the picture to the controlling woman. He heard an intake of breath as she received the picture and he had to hold back a slight chuckle. What he wouldn't give to know what the hag was imagining they were doing in Manda's half dressed state.

"I forbid you to see that... That... WHORE!"

Tsukasa stiffened. What right did she have to insult his girl like that?!

"You have your proof and now your game is over. You no longer meddle in my love life or my company. The game is over; goodbye _ex-chairman._"

He snapped the phone shut, not bothering to wait for a response.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Kaede gripped the phone tightly. How dare her pathetic son defy her like this?! When she'd made that bet, she had thought that her son's arrogance wouldn't allow him to pursue love. And she'd thought she'd made it perfectly clear to that miserable girl that she did not approve of her! She'd never once considered that Tsukasa's feelings change so drastically- she hadn't even considered the tomboy as a threat after the incident at the hotel. Kaede got up from her leather chair, utterly incensed. How could this have happened? Then it struck her. That fool would do anything to protect his friends. An evil grin forming on her face, Kaede dialed several numbers, setting up a conference call.

"Ah moshi moshi? Hanazawa-san..Nishikado-san.. I have something to discuss with you about both your sons.."

"What about Rui?"

"What's wrong with Sojiro?"

"Calm down, Hana-chan, Sakura-chan. I just have some information that I thought would interest you..."

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

**Ahh once again, kinda short. Gertrude (my muse) is being uncooperative. Just to clarify, the 'Hanazawa-san' Kaede's talking to in the end is Rui's mother and in case you didn't get it, she's also talking to Sojiro's mom.**

**But finally my OC and Tsukasa get together and like Sojiro and Yuki, they're fiery. Rui and Tsukushi's sweetness is patented! Okay with that said I'm still working on the tracklist for the OST so it might no be up till next update. So.. Review?**


	20. Call It A Life Changing Question

**Yo minna! Here I am once again with another chapter in this ever dramatic fic! Thanks go out to those who reviewed last chapter and the chapter before the last chapter: Saranghae-Minnie, b . aka-chan and Spoutnik!**

**Saranghae: Gomen, I phrased that sentence weirdly; this fic still has a way to go… so yea.. it's nowhere near ending :D There is still lots more RuiXTsukushi fluffiness to be had!**

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) **

Sojiro and Yuki were holding hands and sharing a soft kiss when the door to his penthouse apartment slammed open, revealing his mother. Sakura Nishikado was a short olive toned woman with raven colored hair and intense green eyes. And at the moment she looked utterly incensed. Sojiro stood up and squeezed Yuki's hand in reassurance. What was his mom doing here?

"Ah.. So it's true. Sojiro what is the meaning of this?"

Sojiro's eyes widened. What was his mother talking about?

"What are you talking about?"

His mother's usual smile curved into a grimace and she pointed at Yuki with a carefully manicured finger.

"This girl. She's a commoner ,no?"

Sojiro growled underneath his breath. There was no way that the same drama going on with Rui was going to start in his family also!

"What does that matter?"

"Our reputation does! Do you not care if you dishonor your family?"

Sojiro pulled on Yuki's hand, signaling for her to stand and then wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"Mother with all due respect, I was dishonoring the family name before I started dating Yuki. She's the reason I'm not bringing any more dishonor to our family."

His mother's posture stiffened slightly.

"You won't stop seeing her? Have you considered what might happen to this girl? How it might affect her?"

Sojiro didn't even wince and was about to answer when Yuki moved forward out of his grasp.

"With all due respect ma'am... I love your son. I'd weather any storm for him."

Sojiro smiled, feeling his heart soar slightly. He knew he'd made the right choice, leaving behind his playboy lifestyle for this girl- this remarkable, one of a kind girl. He wrapped both arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"See mother? We both love each other. Isn't that enough?"

He watched his small mother's face go through many emotions. Anger then sadness and then watched as something inside her set itself firm.

"I understand.. But be careful.. Especially when it comes to Tsukasa's mother. If she were to find out and cause me more grief I will side with her if only to keep that woman at bay."

Sojiro nodded pulling Yuki slightly closer to him. He didn't know what his mother had been told, but at least she understood that he wouldn't give Yuki up easily.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) **

"Tsukushi?"

Tsukushi turned around, putting on her earring. Rui walked into the room, a stunning vision in a white tux; she was his perfect contrast in a simple yet elegant black dress. Since Tsukasa had boycotted the ceremony commemorating his takeover of the Domyoji Group, Rui had told her that they were going out because he had a surprise for her. She had protested lightly, but it was mostly for show; the expression Rui wore when he said 'surprise' had her intrigued.

Rui walked over to her and then knelt down, taking her hand. He looked up at her through his long eyelashes and kissed her hand softly, as though she were a princess and he, her devout knight. He rose up and pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing his lips to hers oh so softly, as though she was made of glass. Just as the kiss was heating up slightly, the door to the apartment crashed open. Tsukushi felt, rather than saw Rui let go of her and stood in awe as the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen walked over the debris that was her front door. The woman was pale like a ghost with fiery locks and shocking electric blue eyes. She was thin as smoke, with plump lips and defined cheek bones; she carried herself with the air that Tsukushi imagined royalty would have.

"Mother?"

Tsukushi turned around to see a shell shocked Rui, who was holding a baseball bat in his right hand. Whatever he had been expecting certainly wasn't this elegant beauty. Tsukushi paused. Wait! Did he call this woman... His mother!?

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) **

Rui was in shock when he saw his _mother_, who never was home, barge into Tsukushi's apartment. When he'd heard the door crash, he'd assumed that maybe it had been robbers or something. He certainly hadn't been expecting his sad excuse for a mother. His mother gave him a rueful smile, and walked towards him with fluidity he'd only seen in models before. She reached him, standing about a foot below him. Then she raised her hand._Slap!_

The sound the palm of her hand hitting his cheek permeated the silence like a gunshot, resonating for what seemed like forever.

"That is for playing around with commoners! How dare you do this Rui!?"_Slap!" _How dare you disobey your father!?" _Slap!_ "How dare you disrespect your grandmother the way you did!?" _SLAP!_

Rui withstood each blow, until his cheek felt hot and was pulsing slightly. When she was finished with her tirade, he exhaled trying to reign in his temper.

"Are you finished?"

He was clenching his teeth, trying not to set her off anymore.

"Like hell I am! You have thrown away your legacy to _play_ with some poor commoner! Tell me, is living in this _hovel_ really worth the sex? Is it worth it, throwing every hope and dream for the sake of this _ugly, monstrous girl!?"_

Rui resisted the urge to slap his mother thus far; it was one thing to slap him around, but when he saw a small tear run down the length of Tsukushi's cheek, his hand came up of his own accord and he felt the impact when it hit his mother's flawless cheek. His mother staggered backwards, a look of utter rage on her otherwise angelic face.

"You dare hit _me?_ I am your MOTHER! I carried you in my womb for nine months! I endured the pain of childbirth to bring _you_ into this world! And this is how you repay me?!"

Rui's eyes narrowed in what could only be described as hatred.

"Mother, we both know there was no pain involved in my birth. You were unconscious throughout the entire procedure; you held me for all of five minutes before you handed me over to the nanny. After that I hardly saw you! Yet you have the audacity to call yourself my mother!"

His mother's mouth opened, and her expression was that of surprise; she quickly recovered her composure.

"I _am_ your mother, Rui and I will not allow you to stay here just to play with some filthy commoner."

A smirk rose to Rui's face. Play? Did she think he was playing a game with Tsukushi. He reached into his pocket, fingering the object within.. He'd been planning on asking this particular question during dinner but...

"You think I'm not serious about Tsukushi?"

"That and you've lost every bit of your sanity; if you wanted sex you could just pick up a prostitute."

Rui chuckled.

"I assure you that I am serious about Tsukushi and besides that, we have had nothing but a virtuous relationship thus far."

Rui grinned when he caught the sight of a blush rising to Tsukushi's face.

"Then you stay with her to rebel?"

He shook his head and walked over to Tsukushi, taking her small hand in his.

"I stay with her because I _love _her. I had been hoping to do this later on tonight, but apparently it can't be helped."

Smiling deviously, Rui got down on one knee, pulling out the satin covered box from his pocket. He looked up at Tsukushi, pure love making his heart soar and opened up the box to reveal a slim band with a dazzling diamond atop.

"Makino Tsukushi, you are the only person for me..I promise to cherish and protect you- I love you with every fiber of my being.. Will you marry me?"

Tsukushi stood stock still, tears forming in her brown eyes. Whatever she had expected his

surprise to be, it certainly wasn't this. She reached down for Rui's empty hand and pulled him up slowly, intertwining her fingers with his. She tiptoed slightly to reach him and kissed him softly on the lips, igniting the slow burning that always seemed to ignite whenever their lips touched.

"I want nothing more than to be yours, Hanazawa Rui."

Rui's smile went from sweet to completely exultant. He leaned down slightly and raised her left hand, and slid the ring onto her fourth finger; it was a perfect fit. With another exultant smile he cradled her face between his hands, pressing his lips to hers in a searing kiss, that seemed to radiate with the strange emotion called love.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) **

Hana Hanazawa's eyes were wide as she watched her son kiss his new fiancée so passionately. She hardly recognized him. Ever since he'd become a teenager, she had only ever seen him gloomy and introverted. He didn't rebel like his friends; he did what he was told to do, no matter what. Who was this rebellious person that was so passionate? It couldn't be her son. Nobody changed that quickly; this was not her son… She watched as they broke apart, eyes focused only on the others. Had they forgotten that she was there watching them? Was the depth of their love really that deep or was it all a ruse? What was this girl to Rui? She was normal from what Hana had heard from Kaede and her own research seemed to support that idea. What was so remarkable about this ordinary girl?

"I'm not playing mother; I am serious about Tsukushi."

Hana looked up, surprise coloring her expression. She had not noticed that Rui had remembered her presence.

"I do not know who you are anymore Rui. I did not take you for a fool."

With that Hana made her way across the room; this was nowhere near over.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) **

**Bet you all didn't see that coming did ya? Okay so the link to the OST is as follows (without all the spaces): http : / / www . scribd . com /doc/30764704/Call-It-Fate-OST**

**For the rest of the chapters I'll put the song corresponding to that chapter in the Author Notes in the beginning. Then when this fic comes to an end, I'll post the complete OST and provide the link.**

**And if you were wondering what that kiss scene between Manda and Tsukasa looked like, I made a pic on GIMP. I warn you it's not amazing, mainly because I'm rusty. The link to the pic is as follows (sans spaces): http : / / emoeccentrica . deviantart . com / art / As-Long-As-It-s-You-162512820**

**Arigato minna for reading this chappie! Anticipate the next one! (YAY wedding plans, turmoil, more drama) Review?**


	21. Call It The Start of Another Trial

**Yo minna-san! Okay, once again I'm updating from my phone so I can only say thanks to those who took the time to review! You all are the best~ Okay so enjoy this next chapter of -dramatic voice- **_**Call It Fate**_

_Theme Song for This Chappie: Michiyuki- Hikilda Kaori_

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

"Let's get married!"

Manda looked at Tsukasa, dumbfounded. Did he just.. propose to her?

"Huh?"

They were still in Okinawa, mainly because Tsukasa had never actually been to a beach and secondly because Tsukasa's mother was blatantly lusting after both of their blood. Tsukasa looked back at her from his position in the frothy waves and began walking over to the spot where she was building her sandcastle. He looked down at her, that really silly grin on his face. Ever since he had figured out his feelings toward her, the expression had not left his face, which was a nice change from the usual hostile expression that was shot her way.

"Well we love each other, so why not?"

Manda just continued to stare at him. Normally she would be jumping at the chance to marry Tsukasa; he might be rough around the edges and might not have the sharpest wit, but she loved him. However, he was taking things way too fast; she knew she wouldn't regret it, but he hadn't really thought things through. That much she was sure of. He tended to jump into things without thinking, and she didn't want to get married only for him to end up changing his mind. If that happened… Manda shook off the thought. No, she would just tell him what was on her mind, and hope to God that he understood. She wanted to marry _him, _not his impulse.

"You don't think it's a bit fast?"

The smile slowly slid off his face, and he sighed, sitting down next to her in his black swim trunks.

"Manda, why do you think I chased after you?"

"Because you knew there was something more between us. You knew that you feel something for me. But my point is, that you're not thinking this thr-"

He cut her off by pressing his finger to her lips.

"Baka! I came after you because when I thought about some other guy holding your hand, or kissing you… I got angry. When I thought back on these last two months, I realized that I had a lot more fun with you than I did with Makino. Yes, you can be annoying, but in a sweet way. You make me smile; isn't that what marriage is about?"

She stared at him in shock- she had never heard him explain something… so eloquently. Usually he would just give her two word answers, and even then he would make the most hilarious mistakes in his wording. But this time… he actually made sense. Marriage wasn't that complicated; it was just a union between two people who loved each other…

"You don't have to give me an answer right this second."

His silly smile crept back onto his handsome face.

"I just want you to know that no matter what, no matter how annoying you get.. no matter how clumsy or quirky or _weird _you are.. that you are the only one for me, chibi."  
Manda stuck out her tongue at him for that last bit. Tsukasa grabbed her hand and pulled her up, hugging her tightly. She looked up at him, watching him watch her. He bent down slightly and kissed her on the forehead. Manda smiled, and let herself relax in his arms. This is where she was meant to be, and she would wait for marriage, not for her sake, but for Tsukasa's.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Akira watched the dance floor from the bar. It was only eight o' clock, but lately he had nothing better to do than to club. Rui was busy with the drama going on with his family and Makino. Sojiro was scared stiff of walking into _any _club or bar, and Akira couldn't blame him. When Sojiro's groupies had found out he was dating someone seriously, there had been many forms of torture discussed; if he set foot into any club in Tokyo, there was sure to be a riot. And Tsukasa… well he never really partied to begin with. Akira spun the bar stool around, wishing he hadn't thrown away that last woman he'd been dating. She had been a bit younger than his usual tastes but she was funny; she was good to pass the time.

Akira got up, nursing his Virgin Mimosa and walked over to the other end of the bar, where a group of ladies had just walked in. He didn't miss the alcohol, but he missed the lack of clarity that came with it; ever since his wing man fell in love, he didn't trust himself to get drunk. Last time that had happened, he'd woken up in a shady hotel with a prostitute named Marsha, whom he was pretty sure was not 100 percent woman. Akira shuddered at the memory, and focused on finding that group of ladies. He needed another toy, if only to pass the time. Sighing, he sat down. He really did want to settle down with someone, but his lifestyle was just not suited for marrying anyone; it was just not for the normal rich woman- or any woman (short of someone also in the yakuza business) His mother was a classic example. She didn't always have the personality of a three year old; she had become that way after a kidnapping and had never been the same since. No… he couldn't subject any woman to that… he would settle for eternal bachelorhood and entertain himself with the occasional toy.

Akira scanned the crowd again, and his eyes stopped on a single figure that was clad in white from head to toe. She turned around, revealing the most angelic face; with pale skin like porcelain and smoky eyes complimented by vivid auburn hair, she really did look like an angel. He was about to approach her when another man looped his arm through hers and they disappeared. Scowling, he turned around and bumped into someone, who sent him to the ground. He looked up, eyes wide and mentality set to tell off whoever had bumped into him; tonight was not his night and getting his drink splattered on his deep red shirt was not helping anything. Then he looked up.

The woman was around his age, with flowing corn silk hair, violet eyes and the complexion of a someone who had not seen the sun in a long while. She was tall and even in stillness seemed to be graceful. Clad in a slinky black dress, she looked like some sort of angel who'd fallen from grace. She looked dangerous. Wordlessly, he got up, forgetting about his rebuke.

"Oy, watch where you're going pretty boy."

His eyes narrowed at that tone in her voice. Never before had a woman talked to him like that- especially not a woman this beautiful. Akira raised his eyebrow then began to walk away, when he felt a small hand grasp the cuff of his shirt.

"Oy, where's your apology?"

Akira chuckled to himself, careful not to let this absurd woman hear. He turned to her, feeling exasperation weigh his shoulders down. After this he'd leave; he'd been clubbing way too much lately anyway. Slowly he moved towards her and tilted her chin with his index finger, eyes smoldering.

"I'm very sorry."

Instead of the usual melting that happened when he used that combo, her eyes remained narrowed and she grabbed his wrist moving his hand away from her chin.

"How dare you touch me, you idiot playboy! Do you know who I am?"

She snapped her fingers, prompting three men clad in black suits to appear from out of the shadows.

"I'm Edra Himejima, of the Hime Family."

Akira's eyes widened. What were the chances of running into the daughter of your family's sworn enemy?

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Kaede Domyoji sat at her desk, utterly incensed. Tsukasa had not come back to Tokyo for the ceremony commemorating his inheriting the company; it had been embarrassing to say the least. She'd had to have Nishida call all of those invited to cancel; when Tsukasa got back…

She threw up her hands in exasperation and began pacing around the room. To make things even worse, her plot to threaten Tsukasa with his friend's happiness in exchange for his own failed miserably. Sakura had let her son off with a slap on the wrist! Hana however did react to the news as she had anticipated; Rui didn't though. He had asked that commoner for her hand in marriage and she had accepted. Kaede felt the steady pulse in her forehead, the prelude to a massive migraine. This was all a mess. Why couldn't their children behave as such and obey their parents? Why couldn't they have fallen for someone who was prestigious and elegant? Tsukasa chose that ill bred shameless girl and Rui that filthy commoner! This insolence was spreading even to that other friend of theirs- Sojiro. Another commoner love, another stain on the world of the high class. The only one out of the F4 that was sane was the child of the yakuza family… what was his name? Mimi-something.

Her phone began ringing and head still throbbing, she picked up hoping that no more surprises were in store.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Rui felt the tension building in his chest as he walked up the stairs to the Domyoji mansion. Seeing as the Hanazawa Group was merged with the Domyoji Group, he had to inform Tsukasa's mother of his engagement. He had already phoned his father and grandmother about it; both dealt with it in much the same fashion- cold oaths and threats. His mother had taken off to France, for some charity gala. Now the only person left was Tsukasa's mother. Rui felt himself shiver as he entered the glacial foyer. The secretary he'd seen a couple of times was there to greet him and before Rui knew what was happening, he was being led up to the chairwoman's office.

Kaede Domyoji sat at her desk, looking like a hawk examining its prey from above. Rui bowed in respect then took the seat across from her desk.

"What is it Hanazawa-san?"

Rui shifted slightly in his seat, wondering where to start off the conversation. Surely she'd heard about it already… he didn't understand himself, why he hadn't just called to give her the news like his grandmother and father. Maybe it had to do with the fact that he would need a minute amount of cooperation from her; after all he didn't want his best man to be mysteriously kidnapped on the day of the ceremony by parties unknown- or in this case, not so unknown.

"I assume you've heard of my engagement?"

"Of course; you're grandmother made it a point to call me. I assure you that your _precious _bride is safe where I'm concerned; as long as you don't inherit the Hanazawa Group, I am appeased. "

"I assure you that I have no intention of inheriting. However, I do plan on asking Tsukasa to be my best man. I just wanted to make arrangements and be assured that he would be able to attend the ceremony without any interference on your part."

Kaede's eyebrow rose at that, as though this was a completely new scheme to her. Rui mentally berated himself; if it was then he had practically hand wrapped Tsukasa and handed him to her.

"I did not quite think of anything like that, but I don't think I'll have to stoop so far as to kidnap my son to get him to obey me. Rest assure that your _precious _ceremony will not be interrupted. Is that all?"

Hesitantly Rui nodded and then got to his feet, feeling a bit uneasy.

"Hai; well I'll be going."

Rui was headed for the door when he heard an ominous chuckle behind him.

"Hanazawa-san? If you talk to my son, tell him that this is not over and that someone will be over to pick him up."

Rui left the room wordlessly.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Tsukushi sat on the couch, staring up at the ceiling, bliss clouding her thoughts. She was going to marry the most extraordinary man in a month and a halves time-_ that_ little detail had been decided yesterday over dinner. It would be a simple ceremony with only a few people; Rui had wanted to do something a little more extravagant but after he had seen how much she wanted a simple ceremony he had conceded. Tsukushi smiled- Rui was truly the best. Any other man would've tried to push his way onto her, but not Rui. Rui truly was an angel- her angel. Just then her phone began ringing; thoughtfully she picked it up and saw it was Manda.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Tsu-tsu-tsukushi!"

Her eyes widened as she heard the utter despair in the short girl's voice.

"What's wrong?"

There was some quiet sobbing on the other side of the line.

"T-they... T-they came for Tsukasa... But he didn't want to go with them...He fell off the boardwalk... And.. A-and... Now he's in the hospital... Tsukushi.. I-it's all my f-fault..."

The sobbing escalated and Tsukushi found herself gripping the phone tighter.

"Where are they taking him?"

"Tokyo Hospital. Tsukushi.. I-I'm so worried.."

Tsukushi began to twirl a lock of her hair nervously. She and Rui had to get over to the hospital and fast. Manda would not win against Kaede in her current state and her guilt might make her agree to things she'd later regret. Just then she heard a key twisting in the lock and she practically ran to the door.

"Manda, we'll be there soon. Are you one your way to the hospital?"

"Yea... I'm about an hour away from Tokyo."

"Okay, we'll be waiting for you."

She hung up, and threw herself at Rui, causing him to stagger backwards.

"What's wrong?"

Tsukushi looked up at him, eyes glassy with worry.

"Manda and Tsukasa are in trouble! Tsukasa fell off the boardwalk when they came for him and Manda thinks its her fault. They're taking him to Tokyo Hospital."

"We have to get there quick."

Rui grabbed her hand and together they ran down to Rui's car.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

**-le gasp- Yet another shamelessly stolen scenario from the drama itself but I assure you it will not be the same thing! And gomen for the fillerish nature of this chappie, but you gotta start more strife from someplace, ne? Okay so... ja ne! Review?**


	22. Call It A Case of Selective 'Amnesia'

**Yo minna! Here I am once again, updating this fic. Yay for more than 80 reviews and 6,000 views! Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie (like 20 reviews and I still become happy when I see your review in my inbox!) Okay so I'm going to keep this A/N short. Enjoy~**

**(PS: this is mainly from Manda's POV,**** changes POV when I put (Call It Fate) several times; just so you won't get confused.****)**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tears were streaming down Manda's face, as she looked over Tsukasa. Shortly after she talked to Tsukushi she'd arrived at the hospital and made her way up to Tsukasa's room; he was still unconscious. Manda took a deep breath to calm herself, but to no avail. She hated seeing Tsukasa like this- she'd rather be in his position than watch him like this, still and unaware of the world. Anything would be better, anything; even if he didn't remember her... At least he would be awake. The door edged open behind her and Manda saw to her immense joy that it was Tsukushi and Rui, accompanied by Akira who looked kind of put out.

"How is he?"

Rui sounded worried, while Tsukushi clung to him both obviously dreading the answer.

"They said everything is fine, but he just won't wake up!"

All three nodded and both Akira and Tsukushi sat down in chairs beside the bed; Rui stood up while leaning on the wall. Manda went back to her spot by the bed, and held Tsukasa's hand in her own, and squeezed it softly, wishing she could do more than wait.

**Later**

Five hours later, Tsukasa had not moved from his place on the bed; Manda was a mess and she knew it. Her usually controlled curls were everywhere and she knew they were puffier than usual. She had the complexion of a corpse and her eyes were red from crying so much. She shouldn't have left for Okinawa; if she hadn't then he wouldn't have come after her. She would have preferred facing Kana's rest if it meant that this wouldn't have happened. All this waiting was just torture; not knowing when she would see Tsukasa's eyes open again. This time she knelt beside the bed, not caring that her bare knees were sore from her prolonged position. She heard a couple of soft knocks and turned to see Rui and Tsukushi come back into the room, closely followed by Tsukasa's assigned nurse, a busty (and obviously fake) blonde with pouty lips and a breathtaking smile.

"Minna, visiting hours are over; only if you're family of the patient may you stay."

The woman's eyes sized her up, taking in her sandy jean shorts and green T-shirt obviously appeased that she was the better looking of them two; Manda rolled her eyes. She wasn't here to compete over looks with some idiot that had nothing better to do than chase after any member of the opposite sex.

"Ahem."

Manda turned around and got up from her knees.

"Nande?"

Manda had meant for her voice to sound intimidating, but hours of crying and pleading with her unconscious love had made it hoarse so it came out in a barely there whisper.

"It's time for you to leave."

Manda moved forward, her flip flops slapping the tile beneath her feet.

"I'm his fiancée; I'm family."

She turned around, her cheeks red; she hadn't wanted to resort to playing that card, mainly because she hadn't accepted, not in so many words at least. She looked back at the woman, telling her with her eyes to get the hell out of the room.  
"If you aren't married you aren't allowed to stay; that's hospital protocol. Please leave; I assure you that I will contact you"

Manda watched with malice as the nurse threw a hungry glance at Tsukasa's unmoving form.

"…immediately if he wakes up."

With a feral growl Manda felt her last bit of restraint fly out the window and launched herself at the idiotic nurse. To her utter horror, before she could rip the woman to shreds Tsukushi and Rui held her back.

"Listen you _bitch_- the man on that bed, he is _mine_ and if you so much as look at him, I will have you fired for inappropriate behavior."

The woman just advanced, her green eyes goading Manda on.

"Are you so sure he wouldn't prefer me over you? He's the heir to a major corporation; he deserves to have a **respectable****, **_**beautiful**_ woman on his arm. Just by looking at you it's obvious he doesn't have any real standards so I have a chance. It won't matter that I don't come from money either- after all it's obvious you don't come from it."

Manda stopped struggling in the arms of her friends, ripping them free of their grips but forcing herself to stay put. The last thing she needed was to get arrested for beating up this girl.

"Idiot; don't pretend you know him. Besides you're wrong- I am the daughter of the Shika Group's president."

She grinned a feral grin, her eyes making her look crazy. She watched as the shit-eating grin fell off of the nurse's face and her eyes went wide in horror. Her grin widened when the woman bowed, her straight dyed hair flopping down.

"Gomenesai! I was out of line. Please forgive me!"

The woman looked back up with fear in her eyes and all but ran out of the room. Manda scoffed and went back to her post besides Tsukasa's bed, ignoring her knee's protests when she knelt down on the floor. She hated weak women like that- women who fought only to feel superior.

**Even Later**

Manda's head snapped up, immediately awake; it was already ten at night, and still Tsukasa hadn't so much as moved a muscle. But she was sure that she had heard something. She got up warily and looked around her surroundings, never letting go of her beloved's hand. Usually she loved the night, but under the circumstances the hospital looked creepy and foreboding. Seeing nothing she moved back onto the bed, relishing in the closeness of Tsukasa; she was glad she hadn't listened to the hospital staff. She didn't think she would be able to sleep without Tsukasa near.

**The Next Day**

Manda turned over, feeling warm and content in the glow of mid afternoon. For a few seconds she was able to forget where she was and what had transpired the day before. She stretched and groaned softly when her hands hit the metal rail that made up the top part of the bed. Then she was on the floor. She looked up, hands stinging from breaking her fall and looked at the boy on the bed with utter awe.

"Tsukasa you're awake!"

She launched herself at him and hugged him tightly, resolved never to let go, but was unceremoniously pushed off.

"Who the hell do you think you are commoner? Leave my room!"

Manda's eyes widened. What did Tsukasa mean by 'commoner'? Then reality set in; Tsukasa did not remember her! She stood up, her entire being numb. She hadn't meant it when she'd thought that she'd rather be forgotten. Now that he was awake she was sure of it; she didn't want to leave him…

"What are you waiting for? Get out now before I call the nurse!"

Manda stood there numbly and didn't respond when the door opened behind her. She heard two pairs of footsteps, and felt nothing when Rui came into view, Tsukushi following.

"Oy Rui, tell both of these commoners to get out of my room!"

Confusion covered the red head's features as well as Tsukushi's.

"You don't remember Manda or Tsukushi?"  
Tsukasa sat up, his curls smooshed from lying in the same position so long.

"Of course I don't! Why would I affiliate myself with these two commoners in the first place! Just get them out!"

Manda sank to her knees, feeling her heart thumping slowly.

"Y-you r-really d-don't r-remember me? I-I'm… I-I'm your f-fiancée..."

Tsukasa laughed ,a terrible derisive sound.

"My fiancée? I'd never marry a girl like you."

Manda felt a single tear run down her face, tracing its way down to her neck and then everything went dark.

**Three Hours Later**

When Manda woke up, she was in her room in her pajamas; her head hurt. She sat up, rubbing her eyes like she did when she was younger as everything that had happened in the past twenty four hours replayed through her head. Her eyes widened as the finality of it all hit her. Tsukasa didn't remember her; he'd wanted _her to be thrown out._ Manda doubled over as his absence hit her; over the past two months, there had seldom been a moment when she had felt so hopeless. She had endured every insult and every threat and every bit of hostility from him and it had paid off; why did happiness have to end so quickly? Tears ran down her face, making her eyes feel puffier than they already were. She fell to the bed and curled up in the fetal position. What was the point of it all? Had she worked hard only to have it all taken from her?

"_It's the Almighty; answer the phone chib-"_

Manda snatched up her phone from her nightstand, and put it to her ear.

"Tsukasa!"

There was silence on the line for a few seconds and then a gruff cough.

"Rui explained everything to me; let me warn you, if you intend to follow me around like he said you did before, know that it will be as my pet. I don't believe that I actually went out with you so in this situation you only have that one choice. You can't do it, can you Shika? From what Rui told me you're almost as prideful as I am. If you can't then leave me alone; that's all."

The line clicked as the connection was severed and Manda's eyes were wide with shock. Pet? Her? She sat up again, and slowly got to her raw knees which stung a bit against her silk comforter. She moved so that she was sitting cross legged and began to consider the proposal. She had chased after him for two months; was she really ready to give up on him? She shook her head sadly in response. Tsukasa was the only one for her, and if that meant acting as a pet for him then she would put pride aside; after all, fate had gone through the trouble of bringing them together and she was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

**At the Hospital**

Manda gulped as she stared at the doorknob to Tsukasa's room. A deep red blush decorated her cheeks and she could practically _feel_ the other male patients' eyes on her mostly bare skin. She was clad in the most absurd costume, put together by her nosy maid. It was a small top with a cat's paw print on it with a pair of shorts that finished well above her knees, a pair of cute sandals with an ankle bracelet and a pair of cat ears. While it was one of her more ludicrous costumes, she used to cosplay when she was in high school; however, she had never shown this much skin. Damn maid. She reached for the doorknob, hands visibly shaking. It took a toll on her, being dressed up like this and becoming Tsukasa's 'pet'; her pride really was smarting. Just as she was about to turn the handle, the door opened, revealing Tsukasa in his maroon silk pajamas. His eyes widened in surprise which made her blush even more. They stayed like that for a while before he pulled her into the room.

"What the hell chibi?"

Manda turned to him, puppy dog eyes in place- or in this case, kitty eyes.

"I'm merely doing your bidding, M-Master-sama."

Feeling the mental scars forming she bowed slightly, holding out a collar with a bell on it.

"Here."

It was a handsome collar, made of silk lined leather and embossed with the Domyoji crest under the bell; when she'd first gotten it, Manda had wondered why the hell that nosy maid had something like this, but after a lewd giggle she'd let the subject drop.

Manda felt Tsukasa take the collar from her and fasten it on her neck. She felt like crying. Why the hell was this the only way to be with him?

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui walked into Tsukasa's hospital room, which was empty save for the boy himself. He knew from Tsukushi that Manda had left to get them both an overnight bag as he still had one more day of observation before he could leave. He also knew that Tsukasa's 'pet' idea was tearing her up inside. Rui also knew, that his friend was lying to them all.

"Yo!"

Rui nodded in acknowledgement and sat down in the chair by Tsukasa's bed.

"Ne, Tsukasa can I ask you why you're lying to all of us?"

"Lying about what?"

Rui looked his friend in the eye.

"About not remembering Manda or Tsukushi. From the moment the words came out of your mouth I knew you're lying."

Rui watched as the boy's eyes widened, then fogged up a little.

"As always you're too observant for you own good, Rui. I'm lying to them because I need to make Manda hate me- for her sake. And it would be too convenient if I remembered Makino even though I met them both at around the same time"

Tsukasa stood up and walked over to the window, and Rui followed, eyes trained on the sun setting outside.

"What do you mean?"

"That day they came for me, one of the guards took her hostage for a little bit. He threatened to stab her if I didn't go with them. She was struggling and it was when I tried to charge at them that I fell off the boardwalk."

Tsukasa turned to Rui, his eyes serious.

"Manda taught me something a long time ago- it was that you sacrifice yourself for those you love. I don't want anything like that to happen to Manda anymore. I want her to hate me so much that she won't be able to stand the sight of me; She'll move on and everything will be alright. She won't be in danger ever again."

Rui stared at his friend, surprised at how wrongly he was handling this.

"You know that making her you 'pet' is giving Manda mental scars right?"

Tsukasa nodded.

"I didn't think she'd actually do it and if she did come I was ready to reject her."

"Then why'd you pull her into the room?"

Tsukasa pouted slightly and leaned on the windowsill.

"Because she came in that stupid costume and all the other patients were ogling her; I'm not out of love with her, I'm just trying to make her fall out of love. That doesn't mean I'm going to let like twenty guys stare at her."

Rui sighed; why did his friend make everything so difficult?

"Tsukasa, what will you do if she finds out?"

A small grin formed on his face.

"I run for my life."

Rui nodded; if Manda found out about what was happening, Tsukasa would be worse than dead.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"..can I ask you why you're lying to all of us?"

Yuki's hand froze on the doorknob. Sojiro had stayed down in the car and sent her up while he waited for the flowers he'd ordered. But what was Tsukasa lying about?

"Lying about what?"

"About not remembering Manda or Tsukushi.."

"As always you're too observant for you own good, Rui. I'm lying-"

Yuki stepped away from the door. Tsukasa... Tsukasa was faking his amnesia? But why? Why would he make Manda suffer like she was? For kicks? Yuuki groaned. What was she supposed to do now? Should she tell Manda? After all she was suffering by being his 'pet'... And it wasn't right for her to be treated like someone inferior. Yuuki nodded to herself; she would save Manda from heartache by telling her.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Manda was loading Tsukasa's bag into her Volkswagen when she heard the familiar ring of her cell phone. Closing the door and getting into the driver's seat Manda opened the phone and pressed it to her ear.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Ah, Manda-chan?"

Manda felt her eyebrow go up. Yuuki never called her unless it was something important.

"What's wrong?"

There was a slight pause.

"I have something to tell you.. But I don't know how to put it without sounding bad..."

Manda felt an odd sense of foreboding grow in the pit of her stomach.

"Just say it."

"Well... Domyoji-san... I overheard him and Rui talking right now... And... Rui accused Tsukasa of lying.. About not remembering you or Tsukushi.. And well.. Tsukasa said it was true."

Manda froze, her hand on the steering wheel. How could Tsukasa do that? Had Yuuki heard wrong? Or maybe he was lying the entire time in Okinawa? Manda was vaguely aware of the phone slipping out of her hand and onto the leather interior of her car. She leaned her head back and felt the beginnings of tears in her eyes. Why? Why? Why?!

Her whole world was spinning out of control until something in Manda snapped.

"Fine- if he doesn't want me anymore... Then I won't be here to disturb him! I won't chase after him!"

Manda reached up to the ridiculous collar on her neck and undid it, then turned on the ignition and sped away from the curb. In next to no time she was at the hospital. Still clutching the collar, Manda grabbed only Tsukasa's night bag and stomped her way up to his room, ignoring the looks she merited from the nurses; she didn't care that she looked like some psychotic stripper- all that mattered was getting up to that damn room.

Finally after many wolf whistles she was at Tsukasa's door; she didn't even pause before she threw open the door.

"Oy chibi! At least knoc-"

Manda glared at Tsukasa who was standing next to Rui. Both boys looked at her as though she was crazy.

"Here's your stuff."

She threw the stuff onto the bed, her collar on top of it all. She walked over to Tsukasa and before she knew what was happening, she felt her hand slap his cheek eliciting abrupt silence in the room.

"What was that fo-"

Manda cut him off by pressing her lips to his angrily.

"If you didn't want me anymore you didn't have to pretend to not remember me! You didn't have to make me go through the humiliation I've gone through today! If you didn't want me anymore, why the hell did you chase me to Okinawa?!"

Manda stepped away from him, tears in her eyes. Tsukasa opened his mouth to say something but she held up her hand, signaling she didn't want to hear it.

"It's alright though. As of today my shadow will never darken your doorstep again, Domyoji Tsukasa."

And with that Manda stormed out of the room. She would leave, and she'd never see him again. She was through playing Tsukasa's games.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**And so ends another chapter of this love story. Okay so I bet you're like 'How does this affect Tsukushi and Rui?' Well my dear readers, you all shall find that out next time. Review?**


	23. Call It A Shocking Turn of Events

**Yo minna! Okay thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie and b . aka-chan for their reviews! Imma keep this A/N short because I'm updating from school! Enjoy~**

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Akira walked into the night club, already slightly buzzed from the two shots of vodka he'd had earlier. After all the mushiness he'd seen the day before at the hospital he'd decided he'd had enough of playing it safe. When he had looked at Tsukushi and Rui, he'd felt as though his heart was being twisted. He wanted what all his friends had. He wanted someone to hold for the long term- he didn't want any more flings!

Sulking he took a seat on a leather couch; he was looking through the crowd when he saw the last person he expected to see, dancing in the middle of the dance floor. The girl was short with dark curls and the neon lights made her pale skin glow, completely oblivious to the group of guys surrounding her. What in the living hell was Manda doing at this club? He moved onto the dance floor and when there was a second's pause in the techno song playing, he grabbed her wrist and pulled, dragging her away from her circle of admirers.

"What the- Oh hi Akira."

Manda looked up at him confusedly, obviously at a loss to why he would pull her off the dance floor.

"Why are you here?"

She continued to stare at him.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm here to dance!"

Akira sighed exasperatedly; this is why he didn't like girls younger than him!

"No, what I meant is why you are not with Tsukasa? Isn't he still at the hospital?"

As soon as Tsukasa was mentioned a dark look crossed the short girl's face and she pulled her wrist out of his hand.

"I need a drink."

She began to walk in the direction of the bar, several of the guys who had been dancing with her following suite. Akira growled under his breath and followed her, knowing that Tsukasa would kick his ass if he found out that he had left Manda to her own devices when she was at a club; especially with those guys who had reputations even worse than his own. Hesitantly he sat on the bar stool next to Manda, throwing a warning glare at the blonde who'd handed Manda a colored shot glass.

"What happened?"

Manda turned to him, already looking a bit tipsy. She smiled a sad smile and Akira barely had time before she broke into hysterical sobs. She threw herself at him, nearly causing him to fall backwards off the barstool. He ignored the stares they were both getting and held her; whatever happened it must have been really bad- either that or one of those idiots she'd been dancing with slipped her something.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but it wasn't until the sixth song had stopped playing that he realized Manda wasn't crying anymore; she was asleep.

"Oh hell."

Akira sighed, wondering why he had to care of his friend's girlfriend and picked her up so that she was cradled in his arms. He was pleasantly surprised when he realized she didn't weigh much. After wading through the dance floor he made his way to his car and loaded Manda up into the backseat, wondering what he was going to do with her. He couldn't take her to the hospital, because obviously something had happened between her and Tsukasa. He couldn't take her to a hotel because that would just elicit questions from the ever-jealous Tsukasa... And he didn't know where she lived... Sighing again, he put the car in drive and drove towards his house.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa watched as rain hit the window in his hospital room. He pressed his forehead to the window in repentance, his left right hand touching the cheek that Manda had slapped earlier. He hadn't planned on Manda finding out; but his job was done. Manda hated him... So why did he feel like his heart had been torn out and ripped to pieces? He sighed as he felt a strange sensation attack his eyes. Before he knew it tears were making their way down his cheeks, mimicking the rain outside.

He didn't want to leave Manda either, but this was the only way that she could be happy- if he was out of her life and she, out of danger. Seeing her life threatened had shown him how much Manda was willing to sacrifice just so he could be happy; she hadn't even called out to him in fear. Maybe if she wasn't so headstrong… maybe if she wasn't so self-sacrificing… He felt the tears stream down faster. If those maybes were to come true, then she wouldn't be the chibi he'd fallen in love with. He'd leave her alone and act happy when she found someone who loved her as much as he did. Then he would just watch from the wings, never to love anyone again. Because one thing was for sure, as long as his mother and Rui's grandmothers were alive neither he nor Manda could be happy with each other. He wouldn't ask her to wait and he would accept the man she chose as his replacement- _whoever_ the lucky bastard was.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

When Manda woke up it was to a spinning room. Groggily she sat up, clutching her head and rubbing her eyes. What had happened last night...? She looked around her surroundings, panic rising as she realized she had no idea where she was. Her eyes opened wider than possible. Had she gone home with one of those guys she'd been dancing with? If she had.. What happened? She looked down at the bed she was laying in; it had maroon sheets with a black silk comforter. Manda stood up and saw that mirrors lined the wall opposite the bed; she gasped when she saw what she was dressed in. Her hair had been braided with white ribbons that matched the pure white nightgown she was wearing. What the hell was going on?!

She moved across the room, and opened the door revealing a world clad in pink. Abruptly she closed the door- pink was her kryptonite. Just looking at it made her sick. Just who the hell did she go home with?

"Ah! You're awake."

Manda turned around and saw Akira walk in through a door at the back of the room. Her eyes widened as it all came back to her. Akira dragging her off the dance floor, her crying on him.. Then blank. Damn it! She probably passed out after she drank that tequila shot the blonde she'd been dancing with gave her!

"Sorry my mother saw me carry you in and took you away - you fell asleep and I didn't know where else to take you so I came here..."

Numbly Manda nodded. Akira was a good guy. Who knows what would've happened if she had been alone?

"Iie, I'm just glad you got me out of the club when you did. I think the guy who bought me the shot spiked it with something."

Akira nodded something like amusement on his handsome face.

"Nani?"

"I just thought you looked cute standing there, all humble. It's different from how you usually are."

Manda smiled widely; then she caught Akira's tone. It was light-flirting. Was he... Hitting on her? Or was his natural playboy just coming out? Manda shrugged off the thought. Akira was notorious for only going after women who were either a) married or b) over thirty; seeing as she was neither of those things she had to assume it was the latter.

"Umm.. Sorry for the trouble.. Umm... Where are my clothes from last night?"

Akira tore his gaze from her and pointed at a small backpack on the edge of the bed.

"My mother wanted to throw them away because they weren't pink so I saved them."

He smiled at her and Manda had to force herself to look away; it didn't matter how handsome or sweet he was being to her at the moment. He was Tsukasa's friend and out of the question. Besides she still loved Tsukasa, no matter how much she tried to deny it, she still loved that idiot who'd broken her heart with his continuous rejection. She'd always love him, but did that mean that she would never love anyone again? Mentally shaking herself, she managed to walk over to the bed and pick up the small backpack containing her clothes. Nodding to the man who'd saved her from making a messy mistake, she walked into the behemoth bathroom, locking the door behind her.

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Akira could have slapped himself at this point. What the hell was he doing flirting with Manda? She was his friend's girlfriend. _Not anymore… _ Akira shook his head at the thought. It didn't matter that something had happened between the pair; the facts were that she was _UNTOUCHABLE! _ Friends did not date other friend's exes; it was just cruel and a stab in the back. No, no, no! He would stop thinking about Manda; she was taboo. Slowly regaining control of himself, Akira sat down on his bed feeling the warmth that had not disappeared from Manda's short rest. In all honesty he had _tried _to put her in the guest room, but his mother had insisted that she stay in his room; why? He had no idea- all he knew was that he had been powerless to refuse when she pulled out the puppy dog eyes on him.

He exhaled, trying to be patient. Why did all girls take so damn long to get ready? Just as the thought passed through his overcrowded mind, the door to the bathroom opened revealing Manda in her clothes from the night before. Akira had to resist the urge to gulp. He hadn't noticed the night before, but with the way she was dressed it was no surprise that so many guys had been trying to pick her up. She had on a neon green mini dress with barely there shorts and knee high leather boots. Damn, whatever happened with Tsukasa must have been bad. Without realizing it, Akira was standing and advancing towards the small girl, who had a confused expression on her face.

"Nani? Akira-san? What's wrong? You look… weird…"

He continued moving towards her, lust being his main drive- or so he thought. In his chest the steady thumping that meant his heart was working was rapidly increasing in a way he'd never known before. Then images began running before his eyes. Manda in a white gown standing at the alter, him by her side. Manda in an apron, making them both lunch. Manda chasing after children with his eyes… He stopped abruptly. What was going on? Then he remembered something he had long since forgotten- a stolen moment when she had been engaged to Rui. He had been at Rui's piano, working on a piece for the engagement party that he was going to throw the 'couple'. He had not yet met Manda, so when a figure in black and red stepped into the stark white room he had not realized what dangerous territory he had just wandered into. Manda hadn't looked so different, save for her hair which had been longer. His heart had begun thumping much in the same manner that it was right now.

Akira groaned as he put two and two together. Why did he always choose to love the ones he could never have?

**(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)****  
**All was quiet in Rui and Tsukushi's apartment, save for the almost silent thrumming of the air conditioner. Rui turned on his side so that he could look at Tsukushi, who was still sleeping; a small smile crept up on his face. She was really cute when she was sleeping. She turned over and unconsciously nestled herself into Rui, making said red head chuckle slightly. Bending down, he kissed her forehead causing her to get closer to him. Rui smiled, wider this time. She was too damn cute. He lay back down again, this time enveloping Tsukushi with his arms, allowing her to use him as her pillow like she did a lot of times. He looked over at the window and judging by the light, assumed it was early in the afternoon. Then he heard his phone go off.

He sighed, removed one arm from around his beloved and answered his phone.

"Yea?"

"Rui! Manda's gone missing!"

Rui sat up, startling Tsukushi. She rubbed her eyes groggily and looked at him for explanation. He turned the phone on speaker and pulled her close.

"Calm down Tsukasa. What do you mean Manda's missing?"

He heard a sharp take of intake from Tsukushi and kissed her forehead to calm her down.

"Well Saranghae told Tsubaki that Manda was at a club last night and one minute she was at the bar and the next she wasn't. Saranghae went looking around, but she completely lost track of her!"

Tsukushi and Rui exchanged looks. They both knew that this was serious. If _Saranghae_ had lost track of her... Then something occurred to Rui.

"Maybe she went home with someone?"

There was a long silence on the other side.

"Then we have to find her and take her home!"

Rui sighed and looked to Tsukushi who wore the same pained expression he did.

"Tsukasa... You have to know you can't , right?"

"Why not?"

Tsukushi motioned for the phone so Rui handed it over.

"Because you're not Manda's boyfriend anymore."

Again there was silence on the line, and then the click as the line went dead. Rui put the phone down and pulled Tsukushi even closer to him.

"Tsukasa made a mess again."

Her voice was soft and compassionate, not that he deserved either of those luxuries; the way he'd handled the situation was simply monstrous. He looked down at her, a scowl forming on his face.

"This time I can't fix it."

Tsukushi leaned up to kiss him softly, comforting him.

"You shouldn't have to fix it in the first place."

He nodded in agreement as he felt melancholy cover the room.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa pulled on his jeans hastily, wincing as they moved over his bruises. He didn't care that he and Manda were broken up; if she was missing then he would find her. Grabbing his bag he walked out of the hospital room and down to the car he'd called a while ago. He got in the passenger seat, ignoring the look that the chauffeur gave him.

"To Akira's house."

If anyone knew anything about the dance club scene, it would be Akira. He practically lived at clubs. He eyed the clock; Saranghae had last seen Manda at 1 o'clock at Club Saphyre, dancing with some guys. So that made... What? It was one right now... So that made twelve hours? His eyes widened. She'd been off the radar half a day- that was a lot of time. She could've been taken to some secluded place and... He clenched his fists as he considered what might have happened. No- no Manda was probably fine. First he'd check in with Akira, see if he knew anything and then he'd truly begin his search.

The car slowed and Tsukasa got out and made his way up the stairs leading into the Mimasaka mansion. Bracing himself for the onslaught of pink that lay within the house he opened the door and waltzed into the house, without so much as ringing the doorbell. He walked through the foyer and up the stairs that lead to the second story of the house, where Akira's room was. He wouldn't be here for long- just long enough to get the information and get out. He walked down the hall and opened the first door to the right- Akira's room. He grasped the doorknob and without knocking threw the door open. His eyes went wide and he felt his knees go weak as he took in the seat before him. Manda sat on Akira's bed, the epitome of the term 'hot mess' opposite of her was Akira and the pair were kissing. A sarcastic laugh broke free of his lips before he could reign it in. He needn't have worried- from the looks of it, this is where Manda had been holed up all night.

**Le gasp!~ -dramatic announcer voice- What will happen next in this convoluted love story? Will Tsukasa give up on Manda? Why did Manda and Akira kiss? What will happen when the other members of the F4 along with their loves find out about this shocking development? All this and more, next time on -dramatic music- Call It Fate. Review?**


	24. Call It An Unexpected Declaration

**Yo minna! Thanks go out to b . aka-chan and Saranghae-Minnie for their badass reviews! –Looks at review count- OMG! Almost up to 100 reviews –faints from happiness- You guys are the best and I thank EVERYONE who has taken their time to read this fic! On with the show!~**_  
_

_Song for this chapter: My Happy Ending- Avril Lavigne & Help I'm Alive- Metric_

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_Before Tsukasa showed up_

When Akira kept moving towards her, Manda was at a loss as to what to do. She knew she loved Tsukasa and nothing could change that but there definitely was that spark of attraction with Akira... When he grabbed her hand and slowly intertwined it with his, she felt her resolve melt just a little; the small voice in the back of her head goading her to seal the distance between them. And when he kissed her... It was like fireworks had gone off inside her head. His lips were like velvet and even though it was nothing like kissing Tsukasa, she let herself be consumed by the fire that had erupted the moment their lips touched. This was okay... That's what she told herself as his lips moved with her own inexperienced ones. Then she heard a sarcastic laugh behind her.

Slowly, she broke apart from Akira and found to her utter horror that Tsukasa stood in the doorway to his friend's room. Though judging from the look in his eyes, Manda knew somewhere deep down that one stolen moment had broken something that could never be fully regained. She stood up, one hand outstretched towards Tsukasa, her overcrowded head chanting his name over and over again, almost reverently. She hadn't meant for them to meet like this... Why? Why was he here? Why now!?

"This is where you were..."

Shock was apparent on Tsukasa's now enraged features; betrayal colored his voice. He moved towards her and pulled her to her feet, his hands grasping her shoulders so hard, Manda was sure that there would be bruises later.

"What the hell? We're not even apart for one day and you go missing, with one of my_ friends!_ I had no idea that your love only ran so deep Manda! You know what? I'm so fuckin' glad I didn't marry you! Dressed like that- what the hell were you think-?"

Manda couldn't suppress her cry of rage and in seconds her hand flew across the distance and she slapped Tsukasa hard across the face; so hard it left her pale palm pulsing and an angry shade of red. She staggered backwards out of his grasp.

"WHAT THE HELL AM _I _DOING?! YOU THREW ME AWAY LIKE TRASH! _YOUR_ LOVE ONLY RAN SO DEEP, TSUKASA! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN HERE!? YOU IDIOT!"

Sending an angry glare in his direction, she stomped out of the room and all but ran down the steps, momentarily forgetting that she had absolutely no means of getting home. Growling under her breath, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She'd walk somewhere public and then have Tsukushi or Yuuki picked her up; she'd tell them not to bring their loved ones. She couldn't take anymore of this. She was tired of this constant aching in her chest. She was tired of doing all the chasing and never being chased.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) **

"It wasn't her fault you know? I kissed her, not the other way around."

Akira still sat on his bed, not quite able to comprehend the events that had occurred in the last few seconds.

"She sure wasn't complaining about it."

Akira scoffed; Tsukasa really didn't know anything about women. The entire time he'd been kissing her, Manda had held onto her composure. She wasn't like that with Tsukasa. The girl had knelt beside his bed until her knees were _raw_, had endured harsh condemning whispers while _he_ slept and throughout it all she never let his hand go or stopped crying. Tsukasa didn't know just how damn lucky he was to have a girl love him so deeply and unconditionally. Even at the club the night before, Manda had never spoken a word to the guys around her; she had ignored all their advances and save for her accepting the drugged drink, had been completely faithful to Tsukasa. Akira couldn't even really count the kiss as a show of unfaithfulness- it was too controlled on her end.

"You're so lucky Tsukasa- to have a girl like that by your side."

Tsukasa moved towards him, his face showing the depths of both his hurt and fury. He ran a hand through his curls, his mouth curled in a sardonic smile.

"Yes, because what _every_ guy wants is a two faced, cheating girlfrie-"

Akira's fist swung forward of its own accord, but he had to admit that when it hit Tsukasa's already bruised jaw, it had felt good.

"What the he-"

"You idiot! Manda was hurt! That's the only reason she went to that damned club in the first place! I don't know what you did to her, but I've never seen Manda, or _anyone _for that matter, so sad. In all the time I've known her she's never shed a tear- and that includes when she was engaged to Rui and had plenty of reasons to cry!"

Akira walked towards the door, utterly infuriated and grabbed his jacket off the rack on his wall.

"You don't know how much that girl really loves you. You know why? I don't think you're in love with _her_. You're in love with the idea of loving her; I don't think you've ever been in love with anyone except yourself!"

With that Akira threw open the door and descended down the main staircase, with every intention of chasing after Manda. He didn't care how long it took, but he would heal Manda's heart and when that day came, he would make her his.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) **

Tsukasa sank to his knees, Akira's words running through his head like an annoying song… Those words… where had he heard them before? He closed his eyes hard and tried to pull up the time when he'd heard those overly harsh words.

_"No you're not! I can tell- guys like you are only ever in love with themselves. You're only in love with the idea of loving me!"_

His eyes opened wide. It was that time outside of the café, right before Makino got hit by the bus! He moved into a slightly more comfortable position, bringing his knees up to his chin and resting his head on them. Were Makino and Akira right? Was he really only in love with himself? Silently he got up, feeling the same sensation in his eyes that he'd felt the night before. He coughed slightly, struggling to regain his composure; he would not cry- especially not for that girl. He walked out of Akira's room, trying to forget the image of Akira kissing Manda. No matter what happened, Manda hadn't pushed his friend off of her.

He walked outside and got into the back of the limo, ignoring the glance that his driver gave him.

"To my house."

"Hai, goshugin-sama."

He didn't even look back at his ex-friend's mansion.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukushi was busy making lunch when she heard her phone ring in the bedroom.  
"Rui! Can you get my phone for me? My hands are full of rice right now!"

She looked over to Rui, who was sprawled out on the sofa and smiled at him endearingly; slowly he got up and went into their room to get her phone. She put the rice in the rice cooker, her mind somewhere else. Ever since they received that call about Manda missing, she had been worried sick but they had decided together that this was Tsukasa's problem- the one problem that Rui could not fix for his arrogant friend.

Rui appeared at her side, holding out her phone to her and Tsukushi wiped her hands on the towel he had in his other hand.

"Moshi, moshi?"

"T-Tsukushi? C-can… c-c-an you come p-pick m-m-me up? I'm at Shiseido Square."

Tsukushi raised an eyebrow in alarm and confusion- Shiseido Square was clear across Tokyo over by…

"Were you at Akira's house?"

"Y-yea… can you please pick me up?"

"Of course! I'll just turn off lunch and then me and Ru-"

"No! Please… Don't bring Rui… I don't want to see anyone of the opposite sex for a while… Please…"  
Tsukushi looked to Rui, very much confused. What had transpired in the last twelve hours to shake Manda up so badly? Rui nodded to her and kissed her on the forehead.

"Okay. I'll be right over."

The line closed with a click and Tsukushi quickly pulled off her apron and threw it on the counter next to the rice cooker.

"I'll be right back Rui; if I'm not back in twenty minutes, take out the rice and don't let the miso soup bo-"

Rui pulled her into a hug, soothingly running his hands through her hair.

"Tsukushi, calm down; I know how to take care of miso soup. Here,"

He grabbed her right hand and put her keys on her open palm, then closed her fingers over them.

"Go get Manda and take her home. I'll be waiting for you."

He kissed her forehead again, and Tsukushi hugged him hard.

"Aishteru, Rui."

"I love you too Tsukushi."

He let her go and slipping her shoes on she walked over to the door.

"Ittekimasu."

He smiled and saluted her with two of his fingers, looking very blasé.

"Itterashai."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Manda sat on a stone bench, shivering due to the fact that her legs were in nearly full contact with the cool stone. She played with the charm on her phone, wishing that she hadn't gone to the club in the first place. If she hadn't gone then she wouldn't have been drugged and then she wouldn't have had to leave with Akira… Impulsively her fingers reached up to touch her lips, the lips that had betrayed her earlier. Why had Akira kissed her? More importantly why had she let him kiss her? Stifling a sob, she pulled her legs up and hugged them close, burying her face in them.

She'd meant what she said to Tsukasa. Even when he chased her to Okinawa he'd never actually told her that he loved her. Claimed that they were in love, yes but he never had actually said those three words that would have captured her heart even more completely. Now he'd lost her. She felt the tears go down her cheeks, and coat them in wetness. She was so stupid! Tsukasa had only thought of possessing her, not loving her. In the end this is all that their relationship would amount to- her getting hurt. She made a soft sound of derision and pulled her face up, wiping the tears off her soaked cheeks. Well enough was enough! She had stood through every piece of shit he'd thrown at her and she never got anything in return- not his love, nor his compassion. Tsukasa was truly the worst!

"Oy nee-chan, are you alone?"

She looked up from her hands and saw two guys dressed like wannabe-gangsters standing in front of her, identical leers on their ugly mugs.

"What of it?"

The taller of the two bent down and put his finger beneath her chin.

"How about coming with us?"

Manda scoffed and swatted his finger away from her.

"As if. Leave me alone, you creepy bastards."

Manda looked away, fear building up in her chest. In her current state she wouldn't be able to beat up these guys if it got to that point. Where was Tsukushi?

"What's your problem? Acting all stuck up like that?"

The guy's hand shot out at her and Manda had no time to think before he'd pulled her to her feet. The gruesome smile grew wider and Manda struggled against the man as he began to tow her down the sidewalk, his grip on her hand to strong for her to break.

"Let me go! Let me go! Le-"

Suddenly there was the sound of something hard hitting flesh and the guy's grip on her hand slackened and she pulled free, ready to bolt, when a hand grasped her slightly bruised shoulder. Manda turned around and her eyes widened.

"A-Akira…"

He pulled her close to him, and she didn't resist in her shocked state.

"I finally found you… And just in time by the looks of it."

"W-wha- why? Why are you here?"  
He pulled away from her so that he held her at arms length.

"I'm not asking you to love me right away or anything. I'm not going to ask you to give me a chance either, but unlike Tsukasa I can say those words: I love you Manda; I have ever since I first saw you."

The second time he pressed his lips to hers, Manda didn't try to stop him- not that she had tried the first time. This time she reached for his hand and intertwined them together. She didn't know what she wanted to happen, but this was a nice change from her usual heartache. The second time Akira kissed her; she didn't even notice Tsukasa watching in the distance.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**I repeat- le gasp!~ -dramatic announcer voice- Why did Tsukasa change his mind and follow Manda? Who will Manda choose, Akira or Tsukasa? Will war break out between the two, and if it does, who will the other members of the F4 side with? All this and more next time on –dramatic music- Call It Fate! Review?**


	25. Call It A Realization

**Yo minna! OMG 6 reviews away from Nirvana!-lol- Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie, Illuminating Darkness, b . aka-chan, and Spoutnik for their reviews! And yes, Saranghae, I will be doing something special for the occasion of when I get my first 100th review! Okay so here goes: When I get my 100th review, I'm going to post a RuiXTsukushi one shot, subject to be decided by a poll. Now for the person who gives me my 100th review... They shall receive either a long one shot of the pairing of their choice or a short multi-chapter of their choice! Okay with that said, Enjoy~**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) **

Tsukasa looked out the window of his limousine, watching the commoners who milled around Shiseido Square like army ants. He felt numb even though his mind was full of Manda. Manda running up to greet him. Manda laughing when he'd made a mistake in wording. Manda kissing him... Manda crying in the hospital... Manda kissing Akira... Manda slapping him... Tsukasa closed his eyes, sighing. Why did he even bother with love? Why couldn't he just swallow his pride and let his mother choose for him?

Slowly he opened his eyes and resumed his survey of the rather large square. Then he saw _her._ Manda was sitting on a bench, obviously being harassed by two thugs.

"Stop the car!"

Acting purely on reflex, Tsukasa threw open the door and jumped out of the limousine. By the time he reached the square, Manda was being pulled down the street. He sprinted towards the group when suddenly the first thug, the one who had Manda, went down letting Manda pull free; the second thug scampered off. Tsukasa slowed down, wondering what the hell he was doing here. Tsukasa's eyes narrowed when he saw who Manda's savior was - Akira. He watched as Akira pulled Manda into an embrace, telling her something. Then he pulled back a little bit and Tsukasa felt a lazy droplet of water run down his cheek, as the first drops of rain fell from the sky and as his girlfriend and friend's lips met for the second time.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) **

Tsukushi pulled up to Shiseido Square just in time to notice two things. The first was that Domyoji was standing in the rain, watching two figures in the distance. The second was that the two figures were Manda and Akira, and they were _kissing_. Numbly, she put the car in neutral and pulled out her cell, dialing Manda's number. What the hell was going on? First Manda called her, obviously distraught, and now that she was here to pick her up she seemed to be doing fine- more than fine by how steamy that kiss looked.

"Moshi moshi?"

Tsukushi broke out of her reverie.

"Ah! I'm here for you... Unless you've got other plans?"

She watched as Manda looked around the Square and when the girl caught sight of her, she waved.

"Ah, gomen! I'll be right over- give me umm.. Five seconds?"

"Okay, I'll wait."

The line closed and Tsukushi looked on as Manda huggedAkira goodbye and ran over to the car, the somewhat heavy rain making medium sized spots on her clothing. Manda threw open the door and sat down on the passenger seat, shivering slightly. Tsukushi put the car in drive and drove away slowly and in silence.

"Ano... Did you see that?"

Tsukushi decided to play dumb.

"See what?"

"Me and Akira...?"

She made a turn, prolonging the silence. She didn't know what her friend was doing, but it sure didn't make a lot of sense to her.

"Yea, I wasn't the only one either; Domyoji was there too."

Manda's eyes widened.

"Tsukasa? Masaka... I wonder if he came after me..."

There was a red light ahead so Tsukushi stopped the car.

"What happened? I thought you loved Tsukasa? Haven't you been in love with him since you were in high school?"

Manda hung her head a bit and looked ahead when they started driving again.

"I do love him... But.. Nothing will come of it. Yesterday he gave me an ultimatum, be my pet or leave, under the guise that he had amnesia. I was stupid enough to accept the former. But then Yuuki called me and told me she had overheard Rui and Tsukasa talking..."

Tsukushi's eyes widened. Rui hadn't told her any of this; only that Tsukasa had done something horrible to her friend. He certainly hadn't told her that Tsukasa's amnesia was a ruse.

"It turns out that he remembers everything! When Yuuki called me, I was out doing errands for him in a ridiculous costume so I dropped what I was doing and we got into a fight. After that I left, and went home. At first I was just going to stay home and cry until I dehydrated, but I decided to get revenge on him by going to a club and finding a new guy- a fling. That's when I saw Akira and he took me back to his house when I passed out. The next day... Well I don't know what happened but he kissed me and Tsukasa walked in on us... And then I called you and... TSUKUSHI!"

Tsukushi felt the wind get knocked out of her as the small girl launched herself towards her. Luckily they had just encountered a red light or else the car would've spun out of control. Uneasily, Tsukushi wrapped her arms around the small girl's frame, not quite able to comprehend the intention of Domyoji's plan. Had he just gotten tired of Manda? Or maybe he just felt like playing games with the girl and didn't understand the consequences? No... Neither of those things made sense. Not even Domyoji was that much of an idiot. Tsukushi pulled her arms from around the sobbing girl, and patted her head while taking off down the highway. The rest of the ride passed in silence until finally they reached Manda's mansion.

The girl got out of the car, and wiped her tears.

"Arigato, Tsukushi... For listening to me... And picking me up. I'm really happy that I have a friend like you."

Manda sent her one of her cheery smiles, leaving Tsukushi to drive home, her thoughts going round in incomprehensible circles.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) **

Akira watched as Manda got into Makino's car, and then felt his heart flutter slightly as they drove away. Sulking, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and began walking away when he caught sight of the last person he wanted to see at the moment.

"What do you want, Tsukasa?"

Wordlessly, the curly haired boy moved towards him and then without changing his expression swung his fist towards Akira; Akira easily dodged the ill-aimed punch, returning it with a blow to the stomach. Tsukasa doubled over, robbed of breath for a minute.

"Why did you follow her Tsukasa? Why do you always want what you don't deserve?"

Fury flooded Akira's mind as he watched Tsukasa straighten up slowly.

"I may not deserve her, but your words from earlier... You're wrong!"

Not knowing exactly what Tsukasa meant, Akira dodged another punch and delivered a kick to Tsukasa's knees, making the boy fall. Tsukasa was good at fighting but he was better- you had to be to run with the wolves, and he was the Alpha.

"What do you mean?"

Tsukasa didn't get up from his knees.

"I'm talking about what you said.. Something about me being in love with the idea of being in love... You're wrong! If I weren't in love with her, I would be able to give up on her like I did Makino! If I didn't love her I wouldn't have chased her to Okinawa! If I don't love her why can't I get her out of my head?!"

Tsukasa pulled himself up, the knee of one of his pants ripped.

"If I didn't love her... I wouldn't have bothered doing what I did to protect her..."

Akira's eyes widened as he saw another side to Tsukasa- the compassionate side to him. The side that loved Manda. His friend might be narcissistic, arrogant and selfish in general, but....

Akira put his hands back into his pockets.

"I'm not giving up on her,Tsukasa... I've given up a lot for you; I'm not giving her up. Especially to you."

Akira watched in satisfaction as Tsukasa frowned- like a spoiled kid who didn't get what he wanted. Which was exactly what he was.

"I didn't think you would. Just don't expect me to leave her alone the first time I get rejected."

Akira turned around and began walking back to his mansion. If it was war Tsukasa wanted, then war was what Tsukasa would get.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) **

**Gahh! Gertrude (my muse) has abandoned me! I apologize for the shortness! Review?**


	26. Call It Another Horrid Day

**-does happy dance- OMG! FINALLY MY FIRST 100****TH**** REVIEW! THANKS GO OUT TO ALL MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS T.T YOU ALL ARE TRULY AND HONESTLY THE BEST! Thanks go out to: b . aka-chan, Saranghae-Minnie, SarahNThatcher and to my 100****th**** reviewer, dyzanimefangrl!**

**dyzanimefangrl: yes my dear you are the lucky 100****th****! I haven't watched Boys Over Flowers so I'll do the KarinXHitsugaya one! Any particular theme you want? **

**Okay so as I promised I will do a one shot/multi-chapter for RuiXTsukushi and the poll is as follows:**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to Eitoku's prom **

**Rui and Tsukushi go to the beach and get a surprise when they get there**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to Hawaii**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to New York**

**Rui and Tsukushi meet each other on a blind date arranged by my favorite matchmaker (in my head anyways) Okami-san.**

**WAIT! And the surprises do not end here! I went through my reviews and decided to make a multi-chapter based on one shots whose themes will be decided through the people who have reviewed almost every chapter! They are as follows: Saranghae-Minnie, b . aka-chan, Spoutnik and Illuminating-Darkness! The multi-chapter will have six chapters; one of them will be the runner up in the poll above and the last one will be provided by Gertrude (who has decided to cooperate because of the cookies Saranghae made).**

**-Looks at A/N- wow this thing is long! Okay so without further ado, I present to you all for your pleasure, chapter 26 of Call It Fate! ~**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukushi was driving up to the apartment complex when she saw an all too familiar figure leaning on the hood of Rui's car. Tsukushi sighed as she turned off the ignition and opened the door to the car.

"What do you want, Domyoji?"

Domyoji walked towards her, arrogance ever apparent in his stride.

"I want you to take me to Manda."

Tsukushi stared at him in utter shock. Didn't he understand that he had made too grave of a mistake? That Manda's patience could only be pushed so far? Why did this idiot have to pursue someone whom he didn't deserve?

"Didn't you understand when she kissed Akira?"  
"Iie. I don't think she's in love with that backstabbing idiot. I think that she's confused righ-"

"You're the one that's confused! Why can't you just leave things as they are? Manda will heal with Akira's love, which unlike yours is pure. Akira isn't arrogant, he's a nice person; Manda deserves someone like him! So just leave her alone.

Tsukushi reached in her pocket and pulled out her keys. She turned her back on the curly haired idiot and began walking towards the door when she felt a hand on her forearm.

"Oy! Does that mean you're on Akira's side?"

Tsukushi ripped her arm out of his grasp and then turned to face him.

"I'd rather die than be on the side of someone who doesn't deserve to see the light of day; much less enjoy said light in the company of a dear friend!"

With that Tsukushi punched in the code to the apartment complex and entered, making sure the door closed behind her, leaving no chance for the idiot to follow her.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui had just finished putting a rose in a small vase, and then placed it on the table he set earlier. Tsukushi was taking rather long; maybe something went wrong? He shook his head, not willing to entertain the idea- he'd probably end up forming ridiculous ideas and then just worrying until she finally came home. Rui sat down, pulling the apron strings so that they were loose. He sighed and pulling off Tsukushi's flowered apron, he sat down, watching the wax on the long candles drip down onto the white table cloth. Then the door opened and Rui felt a smile appear on his face.

"Tadaima…"

Rui got up and walked over to his love and wrapped his arms around her.

"Okairi,"

Then he noticed the look on Tsukushi's face. She looked as though someone had really made her mad.  
"What did Tsukasa do now?"

She looked up at him, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Manda and Akira kissed and he was trying to get me to take him to her."

Rui stiffened slightly. Ah, Akira had got himself into a mess. But this one time…

"Did you take him?"

Tsukushi turned to look at him, an incredulous expression on her face.

"Why would I take him to her? He played such a dirty trick on Manda! I don't care if he was 'protecting' her! He did a crappy job doing it! Manda deserves someone better than him; Akira is a lot better for Manda!"

Tsukushi pulled away from him, obviously annoyed. Rui sighed and returned to his seat at the table.

"I don't think Manda is in love with Akira. She was probably just in the wrong place in the wrong state of mind. Besides that, while Tsukasa is misguided, I've never seen him as selfless as he was in the hospital."

Tsukushi looked at him, a look of shock on her face. Rui chuckled softly; he certainly never thought that he'd be on a different side than his fiancée. But this one time… this one time, he had to agree with Tsukasa's intentions. His friend hadn't intentionally meant to hurt Manda, just push her away; and being the idiot he was, he went about it the wrong way.

"Selfless? You mean selfish right? Or are you siding with Tsukasa?"

Rui closed his eyes, feeling a sense of numbness course through his being. He didn't want to get Tsukushi mad, but it was impossible for him to condemn his friend on this one. After all… even though it wasn't obvious to the rest of the F4 or Tsukushi or even Manda, Rui himself had never seen this side of Tsukasa. The boy would probably put himself in the line of fire for Manda.

"Un; I've never seen this side of Tsukasa in all the time that I've known him."

Tsukushi walked towards Rui and stared at him in utter disbelief.

"But the way that he went about it-"

Rui stood up with an exasperated sigh. Tsukasa was going to owe him big time for this- after all he was getting into what could only be described as a fight with Tsukushi.

"I don't disagree that he wasn't misguided-"

"_Misguided?_ What he did was cruel! If he truly wanted to protect Manda then he would have pushed her away like a normal person! He _pretended _to have **amnesia** and then made Manda dress in a ridiculous costume and treated her like she wasn't human! He made her be his _pet _for God's sake!"

Tsukushi growled under her breath and looked up at him, that fire that he adored now being directed towards him. Tsukasa really owed him big time.

"Tsukasa didn't pretend to have amnesia for his own amusement. He truly believed that by making Manda swallow her pride and then be downgraded to the role of a pet, she would have a fit and leave him. He was willing to sacrifice his own happiness for her sake. If I was as much of an idiot as Tsukasa is, I probably would've done something similar if it was to protect you."

Rui stuck his hands into his white jeans, and looked down at Tsukushi, a repentant expression on his face. Tsukushi stared back up at him, conflict blatant in her eyes; those deep brown eyes that he could lose himself in. Finally after what seemed like hours, but what was in reality only seconds, their staring contest ended and Tsukushi frowned.

"I'm not hungry; I'll be in _my _room if you need me."

Rui winced as Tsukushi stalked out of the room and slammed the door to their room. This was not what he wanted to happen- far from it. Rui sighed and ran a hand through his hair. If he knew anything about Tsukasa, it was that he wouldn't give up. He picked up his cell phone and dialed the third number on his speed dial, sitting down on the couch while the phone rang.

"Ah Sojirou? Is Yuuki with you right now?"

"Rui? No she's not. I'm at home. Why?"

Rui paused for a moment; if he was correct, Tsukasa had never actually been to Manda's mansion, which had been built on the outskirts of Tokyo. Tsukasa's next target was Yuuki.

"Listen, Tsukasa is going to contact Yuuki; he's trying to get to Manda's house. Whatever happens, don't get in an argument with her. No matter what she or Tsukasa tells you, don't get into a fight with her."

"What's the meaning of this Rui? What do you know?"

"I just got into a fight with Tsukushi because of something that's been happening between Tsukasa and Manda. I'm on one side and Tsukushi is on the other. Just do me a favor and don't get in the middle of it. As it is I'm going to have a hell of a time getting Akira out of this one."

"Akira? What does he have to do with this?"  
"Let's just say that he's one of the causes of this war."

"War? Rui, you're not making any sense!"

"Just trust me okay? Nothing good will happen if you hear the entire story, because you'll side with Tsukasa and right now, Yuuki is on the same side as Tsukushi."

"Fine; I'll trust you haven't had an episode and won't get in a fight with her- even though I probably wouldn't anyways. I'll stay neutral."

Rui smiled; he could always count on Sojirou to make something serious seem like a joke.

"Okay then. Bye,"

Rui hung up the phone and got up from the couch. He wasn't going to let Tsukushi stay mad at him. Silently he walked over to their room and slowly opened up the door. Quietly he sneaked over to the bed, where Tsukushi was lying underneath the covers and got on it. Wordlessly he wrapped his arms around her; his eyes widened when he realized she was shaking.

"Gomen; I didn't mean to yell at you Rui… It's just that… Manda seemed so sad when I was driving her home. And when I saw Tsukasa and he told me that he wanted to go to Manda…. Well I just lost it."

Rui just held her silently, stroking her hair. She rolled over in his arms and kissed him on his cheek.

"I'm really sorry. Forgive me?"  
Rui smiled and got under the covers, never letting go of her.

"There's nothing to forgive."

Tsukushi smiled and Rui captured her lips in a soft kiss, ignoring the slight buzzing in his pocket.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Manda sat on her bed, watching a bad love comedy, fiddling with her long sleeved pajama top. Sighing, she turned off the TV and let herself fall sideways onto the bed, arms around her knees. Tsukasa was an idiot. Akira was an idiot. She was an even bigger idiot than the both of them combined. She stared at her poster covered wall, eyes consciously avoiding the image that was flashing on her cell phone screen. Tsukasa had been calling her ever since she left the square; he probably just wanted to yell at her some more. Manda felt her thoughts run slower as she remembered when he was yelling at her. It wasn't fair. She had loved him from first sight, and had stuck with him through thick and thin; and the first time she'd let her guard down, he went ballistic. It was one- well technically two, kisses! Finally the vibrating got the best of her and Manda answered the phone, visibly bristling.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Manda-chan?"

Manda pressed the phone to her ear, her demeanor uplifting. It was Yuuki.

"Hai, Yuuki?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted to come to a party that me and Sojirou are going to? Tsukushi and Rui might be going as well?"  
Manda paused. What if Tsukasa or Akira went? She wasn't ready to face those two at the same time.

"What about Akira and Tsukasa?"

"They're not going."

Manda sighed in relief, a soft pang in her chest making her wince a bit in discomfort.

"What time?"

"In two hours. Are you coming?"  
Manda smiled softly, and stood up.

"Okay see you there."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Yuuki hung up the phone, feeling guiltier than she had in her entire life. She looked around the room at the faces of her friends and boyfriend. Tsukushi looked at her sympathetically while holding Rui's hand and Sojirou pulled her into a hug.

"You did the right thing by calling Manda. After hearing everything that's happened between the three of them we had to get them to resolve the problem somehow."

Yuuki relaxed in her boyfriend's strong lithe arms, wishing somehow that this could all work out- without any broken limbs.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**(AN: This section of the fic is in everyone's POV's all mixed together so yea… hope its not too confusing.)**

Manda was anxious as she made her way up the stairs to Sojirou's place, her black scoop dress moving slightly in the breeze. Her eyes widened as she made out Tsukasa's all too familiar figure in the low light of Sojirou's porch.

Tsukasa looked around, wondering when in the hell _his_ chibi was going to get here. Rui had called him to invite him to a party sans Akira; apparently Rui thought that he could use a break from all the drama. However that wasn't what had gotten him to take time out of his search for Manda- it was a promise that the small girl would be there. Tsukasa scanned the horizon and felt a pull at his heartstrings when he saw her. She was in a short black dress that clung to her every curve, her curly hair up in Leia buns; sure the hairstyle wasn't something you saw everyday, but he had long since learned that the girl he'd fallen for wasn't exactly normal. He was about to call out to her when he caught sight of one other person; Akira, that backstabbing idiot.

Akira got out of his car, locking the door behind him. He checked his watch, and saw he was just the tiniest bit late. It couldn't be helped now anyways. All that mattered was that for once he was going to be able to talk to his friends and see what they thought about the mess he'd gotten himself into. The fact that Manda would be there was also a plus. Just as he felt a sort of happiness engulf him, he caught sight of two people ; Tsukasa faced Manda, who was turned around, obviously not expecting Tsukasa to be here. Akira growled and ran up the stairs, ready to take on his idiot of a friend.

"Leave me alone Tsukasa! I don't want to deal with you right now!"

Manda was about to storm off but when she caught sight of Akira she stopped cold in her tracks.

"Akira…"

Then their friends appeared, drawing the attention of the trio at the door. Tsukushi and Yuuki came out wordlessly and pulled Manda in, ignoring her grumbling. Rui took hold of Tsukasa and Sojirou of Akira. As soon as they got to the living room, Tsukasa pulled out of Rui's grip rather harshly, glaring at Akira.

"Rui, you told me this traitor wasn't going to be here."

Tsukushi watched as Rui's eyes hardened as he ignored his friend. She had been against this in general; putting Tsukasa and Akira together, when both were capable of murdering the other was just asking for trouble. She didn't like the fact that they had brought Manda into this, but both Sojirou and Yuuki had continued to insist that Manda _needed_ to be here. She needed her own opinions to be heard.

"Manda, come on. We're leaving."

Tsukasa reached for Manda's hand, but the small girl moved out of the way, settling into the small red loveseat on the outskirt of the circle of friends.

"I'm not leaving with you Tsukasa."

Tsukasa's eyes widened and with an aggravated growl, sat across from the girl. Rui, Tsukushi, Yuuki and Sojirou took their seats. Somewhat hesitantly, Akira took his seat on the far side of the room. The room was silent with intense tension and the murderous glares Tsukasa kept sending Akira didn't help anything. Rui cracked his knuckles and decided to break the silence.

"Manda, who do you love more, Akira or Tsukasa?"

Manda's eyes widened at Rui's bluntness, then felt a soft blush creep up on her cheeks as she realized who her heart belonged to. However, she just shrugged. Tsukasa didn't deserve her love, a fact which had been hiding in the back of her mind ever since she'd first laid eyes on the boy. However her head shot up when she heard an arrogant noise come from the boy across her.

"What's so funny Tsukasa?"

"You know you love me; that's why I chuckled. No matter how much you deny it, you know you love me."

"Tsukasa! Stop being such an idiot."  
Tsukasa turned towards Akira, murderous intent written all over his face. Slowly he got up and stalked towards Akira, who got up.

"Don't call me that."

Akira didn't even flinch when Tsukasa hit him the first time. Everyone stood up, and Rui and Sojirou tried to pull the two apart as blows started being exchanged. Akira sent a punch to Tsukasa's stomach as he received a blow to the jaw. Manda got up from the loveseat as she saw the two boys fight. A stray tear ran down her cheek as she realized it was all her fault. Had she just answered Rui's question with more of a shrug, maybe they wouldn't have begun exchanging blows. Then something snapped inside her and just as she reached the rabble, she fell to the ground, everything fading from her vision as her physical and emotional exhaustion caught up with her.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Okay minna, this is not my favorite chapter by far. It feels like it went around in a huge circle. Anyways I'm sorry that it took so long to update; I've been incredibly busy with a computer/business final project that my evil teacher sprung on me! That alone wouldn't have stopped me but my phone (which is one of my main tools in updating) is currently not working so this really should have been posted like the day after the last update, but alas it was not meant to be! Enough of my excuses… Review? **


	27. Call It An Uprising

**Okay so here I am, bring you yet another chapter of this very dramatic story! Thanks go out to Illuminating-Darkness, Saranghae-Minnie, b . aka-chan, and Strawberry Scented Paperclip. And again, thank you all for sticking with me throughout the 26 chapters that have come out thus far.**

**On a related not I have already figured out in what order the chapters for the multi-chapter in honor of my constant reviewers is going to be:**

**1****st****: Chapter courtesy of Gertrude**

**2****nd****: Saranghae's Challenge**

**3****rd****:Illuminating-Darkness' Prompt**

**4****th****: Runner up in poll**

**5****th****: b . aka-chan's prompt**

**6****th****: Spoutnik's prompt**

**On another note, the poll for the one shot is still open (and will be until the next chapter) and the choices are the following:**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to Eitoku's prom **

**Rui and Tsukushi go to the beach and get a surprise when they get there**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to Hawaii**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to New York**

**Rui and Tsukushi meet each other on a blind date arranged by my favorite matchmaker (in my head anyways) Okami-san.**

**Now for the review responses:**

**Saranghae: I gladly accept your challenge :D I still have to watch the video but I have a feeling that this will either be a RuiXTsukushi fic or a SojiroXYuuki fic. **

**B . aka-chan: I put your chapter towards the end so, no there is no rush. Just tell me your theme/prompt when you think of it.**

**Okay now enough of this A/N! On with the show!~**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa paced in the waiting room of the hospital occasionally stopping to glare at his 'friends'. It was their fault that Manda had fainted, if he and Akira hadn't been put in the same room, then they wouldn't have fought and they wouldn't be in this situation at the moment- which sucked on so many levels.

When Manda had been admitted into the hospital, visiting hours had already ended, which meant that until the chibi's parents got here, nobody could see her. Apparently the doctors didn't believe that the girl was over the age limit and seeing as the chibi never bothered to carry ID, they had absolutely no proof of Manda's real age. All of this combined with the anxiety growing in the pit of his stomach, only served to make him even more agitated.

"Tsukasa, pacing isn't going to make Manda's parents get here any faster than if you were sitting down and not wearing a path in the tile."

Tsukasa looked back and sent a nasty glare to his red headed friend.

"I don't care-it helps me control the urge to punch all of you."

"That's your problem you know. You take out your anger on anyone who dares to get close to you."

Tsukasa whirled around, and stared at Sojirou, fury making his blood boil. What right did Sojirou have to act as though he had the tiniest ounce of comprehension on what Tsukasa was going through? He could understand if the comment had come from Rui, who had come close to losing his beloved several times already; but Sojirou? The man didn't understand what it meant to see the one he loved snatched away, with no promise of her being okay afterwards.

"I don't want to hear that coming from you."

Tsukasa was about to go back to pacing when he felt a glare boring into the back of his head. With a sneer on his face he turned back to his obviously offended friend.

"Do you have something else to add So-chan?"

With a growl Sojirou got up and walked towards Tsukasa, obviously fuming. That's right… all Tsukasa needed was an excuse to hit him… And then all this pent up frustration would be released; and it wouldn't have been a mindless attack, but retaliation for an obvious (and witnessed) provocation.

"I hope that you realize all of this is your fault, before you mess things up even more; if you don't then Akira deserves to be at Manda's side, not you."

With that Sojirou stalked out of the waiting room, Yuuki following close at his heels.

"He's right Tsukasa,"

Tsukasa just went back to pacing.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui turned to Tsukushi, who was looking at her phone rather anxiously. Rui wrapped his arms around her and moved so that his mouth was at her ear.

"What's wrong?"

Tsukushi looked up and moved the phone into his line of vision, the small screen displaying Tsukushi's mobile planner. His eyes widened almost imperceptibly when he saw the appointment set for the next day; it was an appointment with a temperamental wedding planner by the name of Edra Himejima. He looked at the phone once more, as though hoping for some kind of solution to present itself and groaned internally when none stepped forward. They had to leave now because if they got home in the early hours of the morning, they would both oversleep, miss the meeting; and there would be little chance of getting another with the woman, who took a missed appointment as a personal blow to the ego.

"We have to leave."

"I know. What about Manda though…?"

Rui scowled; he didn't want to leave the girl either, at least without ascertaining, with his own eyes, that she was okay. In a way it was as though she was a little sister- which was odd, considering that he had never had the pleasure of having a sibling…. Rui let go of Tsukushi, only keeping her hand intertwined with his. Slowly he got up, Tsukushi mimicking him albeit with a blatant expression of reluctance. She looked up at him, a glum anxiety clouding those beautiful brown eyes that he loved getting lost in. Silently he kissed her forehead, a reassuring sort of grin on his face.

He looked around the waiting room, which was practically empty at this time of night. Akira was curled up on a loveseat, far removed from the cluster of couches in the center. His face was a mixture of guilt, worry and anxiety. When they had first brought Manda in, they had all been near hysterics none of them ever seeing the usually bold, strong girl look so helpless and vulnerable. However, Akira was a completely different story; he was much the same as the rest of them, but the look on his face spoke of the deepest of sorrows. It took the nurse several tries to explain to him that the girl he loved only suffered from exhaustion and slight anemia, which according to her records weren't that rare. Funny how they managed to have that information but not that of her age….

Rui shook his head and then turned to Tsukasa, who was in much the same state as his chestnut haired friend in the corner. However, while Akira looked sad and lost Tsukasa was the exact opposite. That fire inside of the boy was turned on full, the anxiety and worry turned to agitation and paranoia. They were like fire and ice.

"We have to leave."

His statement elicited no response from either of the boys and Rui took their silence as their goodbye. Somewhat puzzled, Rui stifled a yawn and with Tsukushi in tow he exited the waiting room, completely and blissfully unaware of the calamity that would shortly follow their departure.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Akira was curled up on a maroon loveseat, removed from the center of the waiting room. He didn't even trust himself enough to say goodbye to Rui while he was in the same room as Tsukasa- that was how furious he was. The irony was that the flames of the fury that ate away at his insides were not directed at the idiot boy with curly hair, but at himself. If he had kept his feelings to himself, or just called Tsukushi or Rui to ask for directions to Manda's house then they would've never seen each other that morning. His friendship with Tsukasa wouldn't be in shambles.

_And you would've been miserable for the rest of your life. _

Akira winced at the nasty little voice that seemed to only tell the truth. It was true, that while he was unhappy and being eaten by the guilt that seemed to grow by the minute, he did not feel the same way he had felt when he'd run into his mortal enemy (quite literally) Edra Himejima. Yes, he'd ended up going to a love hotel with the woman, not that it meant anything, but after his nightly romp he'd left the room feeling much the same way that he had when he'd first entered the room… unsatisfied and somehow incomplete- and of course completely miserable. He remembered wishing that his own love story would start. And he'd gotten his wish hadn't he? That just went to show that it really did pay to be careful of what you wished for.

_**BANG!**_

Akira snapped out of his reverie when he'd heard the sound of metal slamming into a wall and his eyes widened slightly. In the doorway stood a tall, formidable looking man who seemed vaguely familiar; it seemed that Manda's parental unit was here at last. The man was Tsubasa Shika, global conglomerate, tycoon and a former boxing champion- though by looking at him you would get the impression that he still held the title. He had tousled dirty blonde hair, a slight but wiry frame and probing hazel eyes; he wasn't your typical Japanese president, and his looks made him seem like some foreign gangster. At the moment the man's features were contorted in fury.

"Which one of you is Tsukasa?"

Said boy stopped in his tracks and if Akira hadn't been looking right at the boy, he would've thought that some otherworldly force had thrown him back into the wall. What it was, in actuality, was the iron fist belonging to a certain enraged father/conglomerate. Akira watched in awe as the man stalked towards Tsukasa and effortlessly picked the dazed boy up by the collar; Akira couldn't help but feel a sort of smug amusement when he noticed that the very tips of Tsukasa's expensive shoes barely cleared the dirty linoleum beneath him. However he did wince slightly when a punch was delivered to the boy's jaw, making his head snap back in the most grotesque way.

"That was for causing my daughter trouble. This is for-"

Another punched was delivered to Tsukasa's stomach, noticeably knocking the wind out of the boy.

"- causing my daughter's heart to ache."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa gasped in pain when the blow was delivered to his stomach, knocking the wind completely out of him. The man was strong and Tsukasa knew better than to squirm; slowly without him realizing it the fire that had been churning inside of him, was being doused by something like resignation- acceptance. He was beginning to understand his part in everything. It was just like Sojirou said; if he couldn't realize that most of this was in fact caused by his own selfishness, then he wasn't worthy of being with Manda. Hell, he wasn't even worthy of being in the pure but naïve girl's prescience. As it was, he had already tainted her when he let her chase him. When the man holding him saw the resignation in his eyes, Tsukasa braced himself for another blow, and when it came it seemed as though his lungs had been doused in lighter fluids and promptly set on fire.

"Id' heard reports from my sources that Manda was seeing someone but I never imagined that it would be someone as. Stupid. As. Worthless. And. As. Much. Of. A. Sadist. As. You!"

Each word was punctuated with a well placed blow. Soon Tsukasa was almost doubled over in pain, even while in the man's hold. Funny, he didn't remember the man being _this_ much of a bastard.

"Otoo-san! Yamete!"

The man's head swiveled around towards the direction of the furious voice. Weakly, Tsukasa lifted his head and saw what only could be described as an angel. Manda's short form was clad in a long white nightgown, her hair flowing around her head in those tight curls that bounced even when she wasn't moving. Her usually happy expression was sour, but it didn't take away from her sheer beauty. Unceremoniously Tsukasa was dropped to the floor, gasping unconsciously when he landed on his stomach; the old man had really given him a beating. The bear of a father ran over to his daughter and obstructed Tsukasa's view when he enveloped the short girl in what looked like a bone crushing hug. Manda however emitted no squeak of pain; she didn't even look uncomfortable.

"My daughter! My beautiful daughter! Thank the gods you are okay!

Tsukasa sighed as he saw the changed in attitude; the man was a conundrum to say the least. As much as it pained him to admit it, if he was a father of an only girl, he'd probably be just as overprotective.

"Otoo-san?"

The man stopped nuzzling his daughter's cheek and looked up at her expectantly, practically beaming.

"What is it my dear chi-"

Suddenly the man flew backwards, nearly slamming into Tsukasa.

"What the hell were you doing to Tsukasa?"

Said boy stared on in utter amazement. This _girl_ who was suffering from _exhaustion _and _anemia_ had sent a man who was probably twice her weight into a wall on the opposite side of the room.

"What's wrong my darling? Why do you treat your father so?"

Manda was the epitome of fury. Her small hands were clenched in uncharacteristic fists and her brows drawn together in anger.

"Because you're mistreating the guy I lo-"

As quickly as it all had come, the fury was gone. Instead replaced with what seemed to be an endless sorrow. Tsukasa winced as he watched her eyes blur in a sudden onslaught of tears; he groaned silently in pain as he watched a single tear roll down her unusually pallid cheeks.

"KISAMA!"

Tsukasa felt himself being pulled up again and braced himself for another blow. He deserved this blow, and more. The moment that the tear had fallen off of her cheek, everything that his friends had been telling him sunk in. He was the cause of Manda's pain. He was the only reason those watery diamonds were ever released. Before he came along she had been innocent, unjaded. Yet, because of him she'd been kidnapped, humiliated and thrown away with not so much as a 'sorry'. What he hadn't realized was that when he'd cut his ties with Manda the way he did, he also gave up the right to be concerned with who she saw, or what she did. He understood that now. All of this was his fault; he understood that now. And he would accept any form of punishment that was going to be sent his way.

"Ya-yamete… Leave him alone otoo-san…"

Tsukasa's eyes flew open in surprise. Of all people, this one girl had the most right to want to see him hurt. Of all people, she had the right to tell him off. Of all people, this girl saved him when she had no reason to. Tsukasa was dropped to the floor again, Manda's father glaring at him all the while.

"Get out of here boy- never let me see your selfish hide near my daughter again."

Tsukasa looked up and winced as he saw the resigned look in Manda's unusually deadpan eyes. The stubborn girl had finally reached her limits; she was tired of chasing someone who kept running away. Tsukasa moved and managed to stand up, swaying slightly as vertigo caught up with him. She didn't have to chase him anymore, because Tsukasa had finally realized something- he would chase this pure hearted, quirky girl to the ends of the earth, and only then would he deserve to be with her.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_At the same time…._

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive Rui? You look tired…"

Tsukushi looked warily at Rui who looked as though he had not slept wedll the night before. He probably hadn't considering the worry wart he was.

"I'm fine; it's not that far to the apartment anyways…"

Tsuksuhi looked at her fiancé questionably and after a few tense seconds, decided to let him be. If he said he was fine… In any case she could always pull over the car if he fell asleep at the wheel. Then something caught her attention.

The ride home was uneventful in itself, but Tsukushi couldn't help shake a nagging feeling that something was off… Rui pulled up to the apartment complex and Tsukushi got out first.

"I'll go up and unlock the door, kay?"

Rui nodded and noticeably withheld a yawn. He drove off, leaving Tsukushi to go into the building. She walked towards the building, the feeling of anxiety never leaving her side. Something was wrong; she just knew it. But what was it? She entered the pass code on the building's keypad and then entered the foyer. She looked around warily, almost half expecting for someone to jump out at her or something. However when nothing did, she got into the elevator and rode it up to the third floor. The moment she stepped out of the elevator, she was surprised to see that no one waited for her here either. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Shrugging off the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach she put her key in the lock of the apartment door and pushed the door open, then everything went black.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui entered the apartment, expecting to see Tsukushi lounging on their couch or something. What he didn't expect was to find a note, explaining her disappearance.

"_Dear Rui, _

_This fling with the commoner girl has gone on far too long for my tastes. I gave you a chance to give up seeing her and marry someone of your own status; you ignored me and now it is time that I get serious. We're going to play a game that consists of a needle in a haystack. If you win, then you get your disease filled commoner back and my blessing, however reluctant. If you lose, you'll never see her again and you will inherit the company and marry the woman of our choice. The first clue will arrive at the hovel you live in at exactly seven o' clock. _

_Good luck, _

_Your Mother"_

Rage consumed every of his senses, making his sight take on a dangerous red tinge. Why couldn't his family ever just leave him alone! Why couldn't his family just be happy that _he_ was happy? Fuming, he sat down on the couch where he and Tsukushi had spent so many lazy afternoons in each other's company. Why did he have to wait till seven in the morning? Then he got a brilliant idea. He took out his cell phone and dialed Saranghae's number. If anyone knew anything about Tsukushi's whereabouts this girl did. Several seconds passed before the girl answered.

"I know where Makino is."

Rui looked at the phone, amazement coloring his facial expression.

"She's being kept in a warehouse on the outskirts of Tokyo; Let me mail you the address."

Rui grunted in acceptance and felt the vibration meaning that he'd received a text.

"Arigatou Saranghae."

"Just doing what I'm paid for."  
Rui hung up, a new determination running through his veins; he would go rescue Tsukushi and he'd bring her back, even if that meant going right into the heart of the enemy.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Sarina hung up the phone, a malicious smile on her face and turned to face her twin, who sat bound to a chair.

"What did you think of my performance twin?"

Saranghae looked up at her, fury coloring her pale cheeks.

"What are you planning Sarina? Why did you give Rui a false location?"  
Sarina laughed, feeling a wave of adrenaline flash through her system. There was nothing like setting up a sting operation.

"_I'm _not planning anything. _My_ dear grandmother and our dear aunt are settling this matter once and for all."

Sarina watched in amusement as her twin's eyes widened almost impossibly, as she understood the gravity behind the sentence she had just uttered. The Hanazawa family wanted their heir and they would stop at nothing to get him back.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**O.o Just when we thought the happy couple's troubles were over! –cue dramatic voice- What is waiting for Rui when he goes to the false location? Has Tsukasa finally come to his senses? Where are Sojiro and Yuuki in all of this? And what will happen with Manda and Akira? All this and more in the nextdrama packed addition of –ABC song comes on- Call It- Huh? –music is changed to dramatic track- Call It Fate! Review?**


	28. Call It Breaking the Pattern

**Gomen minna~ Originally this was supposed to be out like two days after I last updated but then my computer crashed and the 4000 word chapter I had waiting for you all disappeared. Then I wasted a couple of days trying to recover it, which was a massive failure. *hangs head in shame* This chapter is nowhere near as good as what I had written and only half the length but nevertheless I am posting it because I can't bear to make you all wait any longer. **

**On a more positive note, thanks go out to those who reviewed: SarahNThatcher , b . aka-chan, Saranghae-Minnie, dyzanimegirl, Illuminating Darkness, and Strawberry Scented Paperclip! Wow 112 reviews *dies happily* **

**On a related note the poll results are in, some having been submitted through reviews, PM's and in person (aka my friends) the results are as follows:**

**Rui and Tsukushi meet each other on a blind date arranged by my favorite matchmaker (4)**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to the beach and get a surprise when they get there (3)**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to Eitoku's prom (1)**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to Hawaii (0)**

**Rui and Tsukushi go to New York (0) **

**Okay so I will post the link to the one-shot which will be 'Rui and Tsukushi meet each other on a blind date arranged by my favorite matchmaker' and then the runner up 'Rui and Tsukushi go to the beach and get a surprise when they get there' will be featured in the multi-fic that I'm making for my most frequent reviewers. *looks at AN* wow this thing is long.. So without further ado I present to you chapter 27 of Call It Fate! ~**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Hana Hanazawa smirked gleefully when she caught sight of the commoner girl being brought into the warehouse, unconscious. She would not allow her son to be in a relationship with this horrid commoner; it wasn't good for her social standing. After all, how was she supposed to explain to her social group that while all of their sons were off marrying the heiresses and models of the world, her son was marrying a commoner who worked in a café owned by another commoner? No, it wouldn't do; if there was anything that mattered to her, it was her reputation- without it all she was, was the wife of some old guy who happened to be rich. She chuckled bitterly; if her mother hadn't forced her into the marriage with Ren, maybe things would have been different. She could have gone off to college like she wanted to and had her own life. No instead she was married off to a man who had the mentality of someone had born in the Dark Ages.

At first he had wanted her to stay home and play housewife, except that didn't work because she completely loathed housework and the responsibilities that came with it. Then he had wanted her to stay home and play mother to Rui. Ren had never suspected that maybe Rui wasn't his biological son, but for her there had always been that slight doubt that Rui wasn't Ren's son. Back when Rui was only a baby she used to muse that maybe she could run away with him and start a new life somewhere, using the excuse that there was a chance that Rui wasn't even Ren's biological son as a reason for her leaving him; however, now they were both in too deep. She had become accustomed to the lush lifestyle that only the rich could have and she could have as many lovers as she wanted so long as she was discreet about them…

The girl stirred slightly, interrupting her reverie. Her eyelids fluttered slightly then opened to reveal brown eyes that looked so innocent that it disgusted the jaded woman. Nobody on this earth deserved to be as innocent as this girl was- in the end all it would cause her world to crash down around her.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukushi looked around, observing her surroundings. From the look of the corrugated metal walls and cement floor, she assumed that she was in a warehouse of some sort. The question though, was why? Why was she here in this warehouse? And where was Rui? She had absolutely no recollection of how she came to be in this place, except that she had been taken by force. She looked down and was surprised to see that she wasn't tied up like last time; instead she was lying on a black leather couch with a red throw cover thrown haphazardly over her form. She got up slowly, and was about to stand when she felt a pull on her left ankle. She looked down bemusedly as she realized her earlier observation was wrong; she had a chain encircling her ankle that was bolted down the floor.

"Ara, you're awake Makino-san?"  
Tsukushi turned around, recognizing the sickly sweet voice of Rui's mother, Hana Hanazawa. It all hit her at once. She had been kidnapped by Rui's mother; why couldn't his family just let them be? What else could they possibly want from their son?

"Why have you brought me here? Where's Rui?"

The cruel woman laughed a sound that was cold and condescending- as though she was asking the obvious.

"Where is he you ask? I have absolutely _no_ idea. That son of mine has done things like this time and time again. He finds a girl and rebels against us, and then after he gets tired of the girl he runs away from everything. Last time this happened he ended up in Germany and only came back because he ran out of money. So you see Makino-san, I have absolutely no idea where that idiot of a boy is. He could be in America for all I know."

Tsukushi's eyes widened; was what this woman telling the truth? Did Rui really just use women and then throw them away? She couldn't believe it… No! She refused to believe it! Rui wasn't like that. Rui wasn't that type of guy, everything he had shown her thus far went against the notion of a Rui like that. Besides that, if he had thrown her away like his mother claimed he had, then why had the stupid woman still bothered to kidnap her? What point was there in taking someone that supposedly didn't matter to her son? No, it had to be a lie. It had to be. Tsukushi felt a bit of guilt gnaw at the pit of her stomach, angry with herself for doubting Rui for even a second.

Tsukushi smirked and then looked up at the sad excuse for a woman.

"I don't believe you; that's not who Rui is. Besides that why would you kidnap me if that were the case? What purpose do I serve you if Rui truly no longer cared for me?"

Tsukushi watched as the woman's eyes widened much to her amusement. The woman really didn't think out every side of her lie properly.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui was approaching the warehouse that Saranghae had directed him to when he became aware of quiet footsteps behind him. Reflexively he turned around, fist catching the guy who had about to knock him unconscious in the gut. The guy winced but retaliated, sending a blow in Rui's general direction. Rui dodged but then he noticed that the guy was not alone; his friends were coming at him from all sides. Soon, Rui was dodging punches and kicks as well as delivering them wondering all the while why Saranghae had set him up and for what purpose. He decided it didn't matter as he landed a final punch on one of the bigger guys, sending him flying several feet backwards.

Rui looked at the decrepit warehouse in distaste and walked back to his car. He didn't know what awaited him in the warehouse, but one thing was for sure- Tsukushi wasn't in there.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Kanna clenched her fist in anger as she saw her idiot grandson walk out of the camera's field of vision, without a single scratch on him.

"Sarina, what is the meaning of this?"

Kanna didn't turn around to look at the pathetic girl she had taken in. All that mattered was that she understood why men that _Sarina _herself had trained had failed to subdue and take him into a warehouse that wasn't even twenty feet away from where they fought. It was a disgrace; she had truly thought that Sarina had been trained better- maybe she had been wrong. After all her mother had always said that strays never could serve for much besides being a burden.

"Hanazawa-sama I'm sorry! I should've trained them better- it is my fault that they were so weak and got defeated. I will do better next ti-"

Kanna cut off the useless girl with a derisive laugh.

"What makes you think that there will be a next time? As far as I'm concerned you have failed me where it really counted. You are no pupil of mine anymore; you will pick up your things from the mansion. I am no longer in need of your services; Sayonara."

Kanna got up, never looking at the pitiful girl not even when she heard a thud that meant she had fallen to the floor.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Saranghae walked into the surveillance room, having long since wriggled out of her bindings.

"I told you this would happen, Sarina. I told you that one day she would throw you away."

"Don't say that! Don't say that…"

Saranghae squatted down and pulled her sister into a hug, feeling the moisture that was quickly soaking the thin fabric of her t-shirt.

"Let go of me. I don't want or need your comfort. I want revenge."

Saranghae didn't let go, pinning her sister's arms to her sides; her sister was the queen of acting rashly- right now she couldn't afford that.

"Rather than exact revenge, why don't you come with me? Tsubaki-sama would be happy for another pair of eyes on our side."

Sarina growled unimpressively at her words.

"She wouldn't want me there. Not after all that I've done to interfere with the ones she loves."

Saranghae raised an eyebrow at that. She could've sworn that her sister sounded almost reproachful- that was odd in itself.

"She doesn't judge people. That is why I serve her the way that I do- she's loyal and will never treat you the way that our grandmother did."

Saranghae got up and looked down at her sister, the definition of incensed- all the more reason for her sister to join Tsubaki; she had quite the temper. Silently she reached out a hand to her sister, sending her a pointed glance. Sarina made a face and looked at Saranghae's hand as though she was tempted to tear it off, but with a reluctant sigh she grabbed it and got to her feet.

"I'll join you, but in exchange I will get my revenge on Kanna."

Saranghae couldn't help but smirk in amusement.

"Hai, hai."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"Tsubaki, where's Saranghae? She gave me a bad tip."

Tsubaki's eyes widened in surprise. Maybe it had been by accident? Saranghae would never betray her... Besides that she hadn't seen hide or hair of her best friend and spy. Her eyes widened further as a thought struck her.

"It wasn't Saranghae that you talked to Rui; she's been missing since the day before yesterday. And I think I know where she is."  
There was silence on the line and Tsubaki wondered what the tip was about in the first place.

"What did you need to know?"

"Tsukushi's been taken by my mother, and I thought that maybe Saranghae knew where she had been taken. Whoever I talked to gave me a bad address, and I was attacked."

Tsubaki pursed her lips in anger. Why couldn't Hanna leave well enough alone? Why must she feel the need to interfere with something that was already over and done with? They were _engaged_, for God's sake!

"I see; I'll have Saranghae contact you as soon as she gets back."

"Arigatou, Tsubaki."

The line clicked and went dead; meanwhile a fury that she seldom experienced engulfed her.

"Kanna!"

With that Tsubaki ran out of the room, lusting for Kanna Hanazawa's blood. The woman had done many things, but kidnapping her best friend was inexcusable. And if she hurt a single hair on her head…

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui was driving aimlessly, insane with worry. Where had they taken Tsukushi? And why had he been set up? He pulled up to a red light and felt his phone vibrate. Without hesitation he fished it out of his pocket and snapped it open without looking at the caller id.

"Hello?"

There was silence and then a derisive chuckle.

"Ara it seems you got past the first level of the game Rui."  
Rui felt his grip on the steering wheel tighten.

"Where's Tsukushi?"  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Patience is a virtue my dear son; we still have a couple more games to play."  
"Why are you doing this? Why can't you just leave us alone?"

Again there was silence and Rui made a turn and parked in a parking lot nearby.

"Answers are a part of the prize Rui. How about a little scavenger hunt?"

Rui gritted his teeth in frustration.

"What's the first clue?"  
He could practically feel his mother smirking on the other side of the line, and her smug silence only served to make the flames of his fury rise even higher.

"The first clue is hidden behind Tsukushi's most prized possession."

With that the line went dead, leaving Rui more puzzled than he had ever been in his entire life.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Another one of those chapters I can't bring myself to love, however it seems things are heating up ne? *cue dramatic voice over* What will Tsubaki do once she finds Kanna? What is Tsukushi's most prized possession and what secret will it hold? And what is happening with the rest of the F4 while this craziness is occurring? All this and more next time on *dramatic music begins then falters leaving silence* Ara, what happened? *runs off to go find out what happened with music* ^.^; Review?**


	29. Call It A Never Ending Story

**YO minna! Okay so this is the third chapter that I write today because I have completed two other things I know you all have been waiting for~ I finished the first chapter of the multi-fic for my constant reviewers and the one-shot for dyzanimegirl (there will be a surprise for you at the end of the one-shot)I will post the links to the stories at the end of the chapter. Okay so thanks go out to the usual crowd: Sarangahe-Minnie,Illuminating-Darkness, dyzanimegirl, b . aka-chan, Strawberry Scented Paperclip, and ZP8892. **

**Also thanks to you all for understanding that my PC crashed; it really did suck!**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Manda stared out the limo's window, feeling unbearably bleak. After that little scene with Tsukasa she had avoided the boy like the plague, unable to stand seeing him. She had to be strong… she needed to give up on him… and Akira too. She couldn't- wouldn't- be the cause of them not being friends anymore. She sighed as the world took on a gray sort of tinge.

"Shika-sama, we will be at the mansion in a matter of minutes."

"Hai."

She was headed over to her parent's house, a stipulation of her father who was unused to the indifferent attitude that she had been giving everyone and everything. According to one of the nurses, whom she'd overheard by accident, she looked ready to slash her wrists open and die. Manda had to smirk at that. In a way she had already died. Ever since she was in high school, Tsukasa had been a major part of her life. Not consciously of course, but the boy had always been there in her dreams, with a smile she fancied was meant for her and for her alone. Manda bit her lip, fighting off tears and rested her head on the cool window as rain drops began to fall; they pulled up to the grandiose mansion. Bleakly Manda gathered her small suitcase from beside her and stepped out into the rain, not bothering to wait for the driver to hold an umbrella over her. She had had her chance to make Tsukasa her own, and she had blown it; now he would stay where he had started out in the first place- out of reach and in her dreams.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

Rui looked at the door of their room, wondering where the hell he should start. What was important to Tsukushi? He knew her family was important… she knew her friends were important… He _hoped _he was important to her…. But she wasn't very materialistic. Which brought him back to the question- what was her most prized possession?

Slowly as though he was afraid of the doorknob exploding, Rui opened the door. He waited a few seconds before scoffing softly to himself; this was both of their rooms- of course there wouldn't be any explosives! He moved over to Tsukushi's nightstand, wondering if she had anything in here that mattered to her. He opened in and sighed when he only found a small bottle of Advil and a pen. Where next? He moved over to the huge dresser that took up an entire wall; according to Tsukushi it used to belong to her great grandmother…

Rui raised his eyebrow. Maybe it was the dresser? He crouched down and opened the first drawer and then promptly slammed it shut when he was met with visions of lace and soft material. Fighting the urge to blush while simultaneously trying hard not to imagine Tsukushi in any of it, he moved on to the next drawers. He opened the drawer and was met with a stack of old looking books, which upon further inspection were Tsukushi's yearbooks. Sighing, he put the books back and then closed the drawer. He made his way through each of the drawers, finding nothing out of the ordinary. He was about to give up one the idea of it being in the dresser when he opened the last drawer and was met with a single item- a pressed rose.

Hands trembling Rui picked up the pressed flower, and saw that there was indeed a note attached to it. Where had the rose come from? He searched his memory for any recollection when he noticed it- the reason this rose was special. This rose… he had given it to her, when he went to get her from Hokkaido. Rui remembered that while he was driving he had seen a field full of flowers and at the very edge of it, was a rose that had a heart shaped petal. Whether it had been by coincidence or man-made, he hadn't cared and stopped to cut the rose. From the way it looked, he had determined that it was a by product of nature, and decided he would give it to Tsukushi. He had called her out of the house and held her, then reached into his back pocket, where he had stashed it upon getting out of the car and given it to her. He even remembered what he told her when she'd asked why he came back for her.

"It was fate; I know we're destined to be together, just like this rose was meant to be yours."

Rui held the pressed rose in his hand, picking up the note. He remembered wishing he could've said something that hadn't sounded so cheesy but he had been sleep deprived and recovering from the worry that accompanied being away from Tsukushi for any amount of time. He looked down, pushing the memory back so he could concentrate on the wording of the note.

"_It seems you figured out the first clue, Rui. Now the location of the warehouse will be revealed. Once you get there, there will be a puzzle that unlocks the door leading to the last game. After the last game, you will be faced with me and Tsukushi. Hurry up, the deadline to finish the second game is at four o' clock on the dot."_

Rui growled and grabbed his keys from his pockets and ran out of the apartment. It was two o' clock and the warehouse address was clear across town; he would have to drive like a maniac to get there in time, but it was worth it. Tsukushi was worth anything and everything.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate) (Call It Fate)**

**GERTRUDE! Gomen minna! I know it was really short but after writing almost 5000 words today, Gertrude had a fit and left me just as it was getting good. Usually I would've just posted tomorrow, but I've already kept you waiting long enough to post the multi-fic and oneshot I promised you all so yea… Also the main oneshot where Tsukushi and Rui is coming up but I'll start on that tomorrow considering that muse is currently asleep…. Okay so here are the links to the other stories(Without the spaces- or you can just go to my profile):**

**Multi chapter fic: **http : / / www . fanfiction . net / s / 6011678 / 1 / Twos _ Company

**Dyzanimegirl's request fic: (It's bleach if anyone's interested) **: http : / / www . fanfiction . net / s / 6011668 /1 / Fire _ and _Ice

**Okay so that's all folks (for this chapter anyways) Again sorry for the shortness~ Review?**


	30. Call It A Resolution

**Gomen minna~ I've been really busy lately because I'm helping out with a production of 'The Sound of Music' and I'm the stage manager's gopher so… Anyways! Thanks go out to: b . aka-chan, Strawberry Scented Paperclip, Saranghae- Minnie, and SarahNThatcher! On with the fic!**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukushi looked around the room, anxiously. Where was Rui's mother? After she had revealed the selfish woman's lie, said woman had left and had been gone ever since. What was she planning? Surely she wasn't going to leave her in this locked room chained up right? Tsukushi sat up, wishing that she could suppress the worry that was setting in. What if Rui was coming for her, but got hurt? Would his mother stoop so low to keep her and Rui apart? Would she hurt her own son?

"Arghh!"

Tsukushi stood up, and looked down at the chain around her ankle. That was her only obstacle; she was pretty sure that the woman had locked the door, but that could be easily remedied considering that across from the couch was a desk with a plethora of office supplies sitting tauntingly on top. Slowly it dawned on Tsukushi. Was this a test? Was that why Hana had left the room? Did she have to find her own way out? Slowly Tsukushi moved forward, wondering how far the chain would let her go before stopping her. When she was pulled back harshly, Tsukushi growled. It only let her go forward three steps.

She pulled forward until the chain was stretched taut and then reached for the desk; the nearest item was a paperclip. Slowly she grabbed it and made her way back to the couch, hoping to god that she could undo the lock on her shackles.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa gulped as he looked up at Manda's house. Well, it wasn't _her _house, but her family house; which meant that Manda's dad was sure to be there. Tsukasa got out of the limo, adjusting his costume. He had dressed up like a teddy bear, with a brown vest of a paler brown shirt with dark suede pants, hoping to pass himself off as one of the singing card delivery people. He sighed as he put on a pair of fluffy bear ears and literally swallowed his pride. He walked up the huge driveway, and made it to the foreboding door. Feeling the anxiety eat away at his stomach, he knocked on the door; hopefully the maid would answer.

The door opened slowly to reveal a tall prideful looking maid with sleek blonde hair flowing down to her waist.

"Yes?"

Her voice was cool, and did nothing to help him feel more at ease with the mission he had undertaken.

"I-I have a delivery for a Miss M. Shika…"

The maid appraised him, obviously amused by his costume. Tsukasa withheld the urge to growl. Never again would he dress like this again, not even if the world could be saved by him doing so.

"Okay then. I will take you to her room."

She turned around and walked briskly down the hallway, obviously not caring if Tsukasa followed her or not. Tsukasa clenched his jaw, and forced himself to smile. This was for Manda; he could do this…

They came to the end of the hall and the maid knocked on the door.  
"Shika-sama, you have a delivery."

The maid cast him a knowing glance, and left. Tsukasa watched her go, utterly confused. Just what did that maid know that he didn't? He was about to call after her when the door opened, revealing Manda. Tsukasa felt all sense of confusion and anxiety melt away as he took in those features he had spent the past day dreaming about. Her usually tame curls swirled around her cherubic face, drawing him like a bee to the scent of pollen. He watched as her eyes widened in obvious confusion.

"Tsukasa… what are you doing-?

"Oh daughter of mine!"

Manda cast a frantic glance down the hallway from where her father's voice was coming and then without another word pulled Tsukasa into her room, causing him to stumble and nearly crash into the wall opposite the door. She cast another glance out of the door and closed it shut, locking it behind her. Tsukasa looked to her, wondering why she didn't sell him out to her dad. After all the horrible things he had done… she was still willing to protect him?

He got up from his place on the floor and made his way towards Manda, who was turned around facing the door. He hesitated a moment before wrapping his arms around her small figure and then bent down slightly so that his lips were level with her ear.

"I'm sorry. I know I've been a jerk, and I don't even deserve to be on the same _planet_ as you, much less call you mine… but… I love you… I just want you to know that."

He felt Manda stiffen in his arms and then she turned around to face him, a small flashlight in her hand. She tiptoed and pointed the blinding light in his eyes, obviously searching for something wrong with him.

"Tsukasa… are you… high?"  
Tsukasa let his arms drop as he stared at her, dumbfounded. High…? What was she talking about?

"No why?"

Manda looked at him, obviously confused about something. What did he say…? Surely he hadn't said anything wrong? After all, he had run everything he had just said by Akira, who had approved it… He looked at Manda, trying to understand.

Manda returned his gaze and suddenly everything got very quiet and the air tense. She moved forward and for a second Tsukasa thought she was going to hit him, but was pleasantly surprised when she wrapped her arms around his waist. Stunned, he wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her close enough so that he could hear her heart beating. It felt as though she had a humming bird in her chest.

"This must be a dream…"

Her words were whispered, almost as though she were talking to herself, which she probably was. Tsukasa bent down and pressed his lips to hers, carefully. She responded to him, kissing him fiercely and bringing her hands up to his curls and grasping them with her thin fingers. Tsukasa threw away his caution and pressed her even closer to him. He didn't care if she thought it was a dream… All that mattered was this moment, which was too perfect to even begin describing it.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui stared blankly at the wall in front of him. He had made it to the warehouse, forty five minutes to spare and a ticket to show for it. He had gotten into the warehouse, no problem. However when he had reached the first door, he had stopped in confusion, which brought him back to staring blankly at the wall.

The wall was painted black, with red empty squares that appeared to be configured as some kind of lock. Above the red squares were numbers, scrawled in his mother's almost illegible handwriting. Rui looked up higher, and saw that there was more writing at the top, as well as a green button with the word 'START' on it.

"_Welcome my son. Below this is a matching game. Once you press the green button that says 'START' is pushed, touch sensitive keypads will appear on the red squares. You will have thirty seconds to answer each question that appears on the screen. Each question you get right will open up another lock on the door; however if you get one wrong, the locks will reset themselves and the game end."_

Rui growled under his breath as he took a look at the squares; there were six of them. He looked at the door and sighed as he realized what his mother wrote was true. Six questions, six locks and six chances to screw up.

Guardedly he got closer to the wall and sighed in exasperation when he saw that the screens were off, giving him no clue as to what the questions would be. Damn his mother… when he saw her again…. Rui let his thoughts trail off. His mother would pay for this dearly. Rui reached his hand up and tentavely pressed the button, bracing himself for an explosion.

Instead of the expected explosion there was a soft 'beep'. Rui looked away from the button and turned his gaze to the first screen.

"Did your beloved commoner go to Eitoku?"

Rui stared at the screen, wondering what the hell this was. He had prepared himself mentally for a hard question… maybe it was trying to get his guard down? Confused, Rui pressed 'no' on the touch screen and smirked when he heard a lock 'click'- one down, five more to go.

He heard the 'beep' again and looked to the second screen.

"Did your beloved commoner go to prom and if so, with whom?"

Rui bit his lip; that was a tougher one, but nonetheless answerable. He searched through his memories and vaguely recalled Tsukushi complaining about how she had gone to prom with that idiot Junpei and had to leave early because he kept complaining about the fact that his tuxedo had been tailored wrong.

Rui pressed 'yes' and then typed in Junpei's name on the keyboard that popped up afterwards. He breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the other lock 'click' open. He turned his gaze back to the screen and blushed at the question, almost turning his gaze away from the screen. Damn his mother! How the hell did she even know the answer to this one?

"Were you the first to bed your commoner?"

Blushing furiously, Rui pressed 'yes' hoping that none of the other questions were like that. There was a tense moment of silence before the lock clicked open and the next question popped up. This one caused Rui to gasp. What the hell was that question? He was about to answer when he heard the metal door scraping against the cement floor. He looked away from the screen; eyes extremely wide when the door gave a final groan of protest and the locks were all forced open. The door fell forward and Rui ran over to the empty space, preparing to fight ninjas or something; who else could break the locks open and force the door to fall? Rui moved forward cautiously waiting for the dust to settle. He felt his guard go down when he caught sight of a familiar figure.

"Tsukushi!"

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Strong!Tsukushi~ OMG ^_^ Okay so I feel like the story is winding down, but fear not! There are still a couple of things to happen before I change the story's status to 'Complete'. On another note I am going on vacation tomorrow, so my next update will be no sooner than a week for now (unless there is a miracle and my grandma lets me use her laptop) Review?**


	31. Call It Serenity

**Okay so this just popped into my head; enjoy~**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"_Otoo-sama, I'm leaving this house- I have my wn mansion already, and my café is doing really well."_

_Tsubasa Shika, fell to his knees, at a loss as to what to say. His daughter… his baby girl, wanted to leave? What had he done wrong? What could he do to fix it? Coming up with no answers, he launched himself at his small daughter, clinging onto her legs and sobbing._

"_Don't leave my dear daughter! Daddy will be lost without you! Don't leave, pl-"_

_He was dragged off by his wife, who shot him a look that made him cower in the nearest corner __**(a/n: he really is like Tamaki ain't he?)**_

_He watched as his wife pulled her daughter into a hug._

"_Itterashai; if you __**ever **__need anything, you know you can count on us."  
He got up at that._

"_And if you ever need Daddy to beat up some bad man-"  
"Ignore him honey."_

"_Don't worry I filter out anything that's stupid."_

_He ran over to the two women and clung to them for dear life, muttering about his wife and daughter being meanies._

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsubasa Shika walked down the hall, a huge smile on his face. His daughter hadn't been home since she moved out, blaming it on her café being really busy. But none of that mattered because he intended to draw this visit out for as long as he could. He turned the corner and heard the door to Manda's room close; he knew it was hers because it made a creaky noise that no one except himself could hear.

"Oh dear daughter of mine!"

The door slammed close, abruptly and he frowned. Maybe his daughter didn't want his company anymore? He walked down the hall and then stared at the wooden door that separated him from his beloved daughter. Sighing, he turned to leave when he heard something deep… like a male who has already gone through puberty. Silently, he moved back to the door and pressed his ear against the smooth surface, listening intently.

_"Tsukasa… are you… high?"_

Tsubasa clenched his jaw. What in the _hell _was that _blockhead_ doing in the company of his precious daughter? He growled under his breath; why was the worm in his daughter's room? He was getting ready to kick down the door when he heard something else.

"_Tsukasa…promise me something?"_

"_Anything."_

There was a pause and then the soap drama like dialogue continued.

"_Never trick me like you did… Never leave my side…"_

"_I promise; after screwing up that badly, I don't think I could stand to lose you again… Manda..."_

There was some sounds of movement, and the silence unnerved Tsubasa. Just what was that leech doing to his precious, virtuous, sweet daughter?

"_Manda Shika, I know who I want to spend the rest of my life with, so please; will you be mine forever and marry me?"  
_

"YES!"

Tsubasa looked down and saw his wife kneeling on the floor .She wore a smile of happiness, while tears of joy rolled down her pale cheeks. It wasn't until a few moments later that he understood what that smile meant.

"Honey! You can't possibly accept this idiot as a suitable companion for our dear daughter?"  
Naomi Shika stood up, a glare on her face, looking almost identical to her daughter.

"Of course I approve! And besides if he makes Manda happy…"

"But he's an idiot!"

"But he's our _daughter's_ idiot!"  
"I won't accept him into our family! I won't allow him to take my darling daughter away from me! SHE'S _**MINE!**_"

"Otoo-san…!"

Withholding a girly shriek Tsubasa turned away from his wife to look at his daughter, who had an expression like none he'd ever seen before.

"Yes my dear loving dau-"  
Her glare grew even more furious.

"Would you kindly GO AWAY!"

He stared at his daughter, feeling the sting of her words.

"Demo…"

He realized he couldn't relent; this boy… no this _bug_ would have to pry Manda from his cold dead maggot infested body.

"I don't approve of this boy; besides for all you know he could just be on Kaede's errand to try and merge our two groups!"

The minute the last few words left his mouth, Tsubasa knew he had said exactly the wrong words. A tense silence engulfed the hallway and he turned to his wife, seeking her help; he got a glare in return.

"Fine then! From this day forth, I renounce my title as the Shika heir! Now.."

Tsubasa felt as though his heart was being torn in two as his daughter spat the words out. She turned to that little idiot and gave him a steady gaze.

"You still want to marry me right?"  
"I'd marry you even if you were dirt poor, without a single penny to your name."

Tsubasa sank to his knees, feeling powerless and abused when Manda pressed her lips to that idiot who was now her fiancée.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui lay next to Tsukushi, in seventh heaven. He had the only girl who mattered to him, back by his side, where he always wanted her to be. Granted he would always have mental scars from all the worrying he did, but the minute he had set sight on her form emerging from the settling dust, all of the worry had melted away, revealing only complete and utter bliss.

Tsukushi had fallen asleep the moment she had gotten into the car, obviously exhausted from her ordeal with his mother. He had been more than happy to carry Tsukushi up to their room, relishing in the fact that he was near to her once more. He had had to change her, which made him blush a little, but seeing her now, asleep in her white nightgown made him smile. This woman was all his; no one would take her away from him anymore. Tsukushi turned over and snuggled into him, causing him to chuckle and pull her close. She was absolutely adorable when she was asleep, not that she wasn't when she was awake… but when she was asleep, a certain innocence came over her that made her all that more adorable. He placed her head on his chest and stroked her locks lovingly. It didn't matter that everyone was against it… Hell! He didn't care if everyone in the whole world was against it, he loved this woman who made him feel; he loved how she laughed and smiled, how nothing was impossible, how she never gave up… He loved her, quirks and faults included. This was the woman he wanted to take as his bride. Rui let out a yawn and drifted into sweet dreams.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_Rui smiled when he felt the soft breeze caress his skin, and looked around the garden that he was in. There were white chairs in rows of seven on each side of the cobble pathway that ran down the center of the garden. Two monumental sakura trees looked out over the scene, serene and beautiful with their pink flowers. _

_**I've got my heart set on our wedding day**_

_He looked at the old man that stood in front of him, holding a book. Rui looked out at all of their guests, mainly from Tsukushi's side of the family; his had refused to come. Nevertheless, they all looked exquisite. _

_**I've got this vision of a girl in white  
**_

_Suddenly Wagner's Wedding March began to play and everyone turned their heads in the direction of a single doorway. From it came several women, Yuuki, Tsukushi's maid of honor, leading the procession. They took their designated places and then Tsukushi's father appeared a vision of white on his arm. Tsukushi was absolutely stunning in the simple yet elegant white gown that she had chosen. Her cheeks were rosy and her brown eyes alight with happiness._

_**Made my decision that it's you alright  
**_

_Slowlyshe came down the aisle, with each step her smile getting after what seemed like an eternity she reached him. Her father smiled at Rui and then took Tsukushi's hand in his and in a symbol as old as time, placed it in Rui's._

"_Take care of my daughter."_

"_I will."_

_**And when I take your hand  
**_

_Tsukushi's hand was warm in his, and he felt his smile grow even wider. He was making the right choice… He got to spend the rest of his life with this extraordinary woman. _

_**I'll watch my heart set sail**_

_Rui felt as though his heart was soaring and he was on top of the world. The minister began the ceremony and Rui turned to Tsukushi, and stared into her eyes, hardly paying attention to what the man was saying. _

_**I'll take my trembling fingers**_

"_Do you take Makino Tsukushi to be your lawfully wedded wife?"_

"_I do."_

_He slid the ring onto her finger, absolutely ecstatic. Finally all his dreams were coming true… Finally…_

"_And do you take Hanazawa Rui as your lawfully wedded husband?"_

"_I do."_

"_Then with the power vested in me…"_

_Rui felt his smile grow impossibly wide and moved his hand to shift the sheer veil off of her face._

_**And I'll lift up your veil**_

"_You may kiss the bride."_

_Rui bent down and kissed Tsukushi like he never had before, letting the passion he had never shared with anyone else leak out and consume him. This woman… this absolutely extraordinary woman, was finally his._

_**Then I'll take you home  
And with wild abandon  
Make love to you just like a true companion  
You are my true companion  
I got a true companion  
True companion**_

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Okay just to clarify, that last bit was only a **_**dream. Review?**_


	32. Call It Giving In

**Gomen! I know I've been away for a long while what with my vacation and then I'm sick… so yea.. Thank you to everyone who reviewed; Things are winding down, and I have the next chapter or so planned out. I'm also toying with the idea of a sequel… on that note here's the next installment of Call It Fate.**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fates)**

**Time Skip: Day before wedding**

Tsukushi sat by the window in her room, smiling. After she had been kidnapped, everything had seemed to fall into place. Neither she nor Rui had been bothered by his side of the family. She had been able to plan her wedding without much trouble. Yuuki was going to be her maid of honor, while Manda and some of her cousins would be her bridesmaids. Of course Tsukasa was Rui's best man so there hadn't been much trouble on that front. The only problematic thing was the wedding planner; Edra Himejima, who was practically thirsting for their blood when they showed up two days late for their appointment. Apparently she had been looking forward to plan their wedding- planning one of the F4's wedding was tantamount to becoming a famous wedding planner; not that she hadn't been already.

However, she had agreed to put it all in the past for one thing; Akira's number. Apparently she had spent a night with him and ever since fell in love with him. Rui handed it over like it was nothing. Tsukushi hadn't said anything either because chances were that Akira would let her down gently; at least she hoped he would.

She felt a grimace grace her face. Akira… He hadn't spoken to Tsukasa since the day that he found out that Manda was Tsukasa's fiancée. She really hoped that everything would be fine between them at the wedding; the last thing she wanted was for them to start fighting. It would really suck for two of their friends to be carted out of the wedding hall.

"TSUKUSHI!"

Tsukushi turned around in time to see her door slam open. Manda came rushing at her, holding a black bag that she assumed contained some article of clothing.

"Why aren't you getting ready?"

Manda looked at her exasperatedly, like she was running late for something. Tsukushi on the other hand was confused; had she promised to go shopping with Manda or something?

"Getting ready for what?"

Manda growled and then covered her eyes with the hand as though she were about to faint.

"Are you okay?"

Tsukushi looked at her friend who then removed her hand from her eyes.

"What are you supposed to be getting ready for? Seriously? We're supposed to be at the party at six… and it's already four thirty!"

Tsukushi was really confused. What in the world was Manda going on about? Maybe that's where Rui was? After all Tsukushi hadn't seen him since earlier in the afternoon when he went to the store to pick up some milk…

"What party? Manda what's going o-"

Manda moved towards Tsukushi, a look of someone trying to keep their temper in control.

"Your bachelorette party of course! It's going to be so awesome! Yuuki and I have been planning it since you first got engaged. You should see the club we're going to have it in- it's one of the best clubs to have a bachelorette party in Tokyo!"

Tsukushi wanted to bang her head on the window. Didn't she tell her friends that she didn't want a bachelorette party?

"Manda… I told you that I wasn't going to have a bachelorette party! It was something that both of us had agreed on."

Manda didn't seem deterred by this. She just smirked and then winked.

"I lied; do you really think that I would let one of my close friends get married without celebrating beforehand? Besides there is a surprise towards the end…"

Manda gave her a bright smile and much to her dismay, Tsukushi found herself getting up to peruse her closet. There really was no point to fighting with Manda; in the end the short girl always got her way.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"For the last time Tsukasa I'm not going to have a bachelor party!"

Rui stared levelly at his thickheaded friend. He had gone out to get some milk when he'd been ambushed by his best friend.

"You don't have to stay for all of it! In fact Manda would kill me if you did. You see…"

Rui sighed as his friend leaned in to whisper in his ears. After his friend finished, Rui felt as though his cheeks were on fire. Who in the hell thought that Tsukushi would like that?

"I distinctly remember Tsukushi saying that she didn't want a bachelorette party."

"Manda will get her there. Now here."

Tsukasa handed Rui a black duffle bag.

"Is there any point in arguing with you?"

"No, it'll just give us both a headache and in the end you'll still be going and doing what Manda planned as well."

Rui growled and then grabbed he duffle bag from his friend. Hopefully Tsukushi wouldn't get _too _mad at him for giving in. And if she did get mad, he could always claim that he had been forced.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fates)**

**-Utter despair- SHORTNESS~~~~ Gahhh... One of my shortest chapters ever… but for some reason Gertrude would not give me anything more.. But I will update soon to make up for the shortness. BTW! Another one of the RuiXTsukushi one-shots has been posted; it is Saranghae's challenge. To read it go to (without all the spaces): http : / . net / s / 6067029 / 1 / Waiting _In_ The _Wings (or you can just go to my profile)**

**Also I'm leaving that fic open because I've made it it's own series of one-shots. I am taking requests/challenges/prompts/songfic challenges! **


	33. Call It An Unexpected Turn of Events

**Yo minna! So I tied down Gertrude and made her work and this is what resulted~ Thanks go out out everyone who reviewed (I'd list you all but I'm supposed to be asleep) Without further ado here is the next installment of Call It Fate!**

Tsukushi looked at the double doors, honestly afraid of what lay behind them. Knowing Manda it was sure to be over the top. Maybe she could hold out hope that Manda hadn't hired any strippers…

Holding her breath Tsukushi pushed open the doors and walked into a world filled with pulsing lights and air that seemed to vibrate with the sound of the techno music playing. Trying not to attract too much attention Tsukushi made her way over to the table where Yuki sat with a huge smile on her face. She tried to smile back, but gave up when a 'UPS man' walked over to her, already getting close to her. Tsukushi all but dashed over to the table, avoiding several strippers on the way.

"Yuuki! Why didn't anyone reign Manda in? I mean I understand like three strippers but…"

Tsukushi paused, trying to do a mental count of how many strippers there were. Her eyes widened. Impossible there couldn't be that many… Tsukushi took count of them again and felt faint.

"Don't pull a brain muscle Tsukushi; there are twenty four of them!"

Tsukushi turned around, to face Manda who immediately pulled her into a strong hug. The small girl stepped back, obviously accessing Tsukushi's outfit of choice. Tsukushi had chosen a strapless olive green and white dress that fell just above her knees. Originally she was going to wear a longer more conservative black dress but Manda had threatened her with death if she wore anything that looked like it belonged to a thirty year old married woman instead of a single (albeit taken) twenty-something girl. Not wanting to die before having the chance to marry her beloved, Tsukushi had gritted her teeth and chosen something out from Manda's large closet.

"It's better than the black dress you wanted to wear, but that's the highest commendation I can give you."

Tsukushi scowled playfully before swatting the short girl. Manda herself was dressed in something resembling her normal clothes, which made Tsukushi frown a bit. Why did she have to dress scantily when she didn't even want a bachelorette party in the first place!

"… I think he would have preferred something a bit more _out _there though…"

Tsukushi looked to Manda who was now whispering to Yuuki (or so the curly haired girl thought). Tsukushi had a sinking feeling in her stomach that the surprises were not over.

"Who would have preferred something 'more out there'?"

Manda just gave her a charming smile and went off to dance with a 'mail man'. As Tsukushi watched her eccentric friend she couldn't help but feel somewhat badly for Tsukasa; he was going to have his hands full with the crazy girl. Giving Yuuki a pleading look and receiving a shake of the head in return, Tsukushi made her way over to the bar where (thankfully) a fully clothed bartender stood mixing drinks. He was tall with blonde hair and gave the guys on the dance floor a withering look. Then he turned his gaze onto Tsukushi. Tsukushi just gave him a sad smile as though to say 'I know'.

"What would you like?"  
Tsukushi bit her lip; she didn't really want to get drunk because knowing her friends they would probably take advantage of her inebriated state to make her do something that later she'd regret.  
"I'll have coke with rum."

The bartender nodded and mixed her drink; she stared out at the crowd as she sipped it. Manda was talking to some guy in all black who seemed to be part of the club staff rather than a stripper. Tsukushi felt her stomach sink when she was being pointed at. The guy in black nodded then ran off, disappearing into the neon ocean of a crowd. Manda caught Tsukushi's gaze and gave her two thumbs up. Tsukushi didn't know whether to be reassured or not. Tsukushi sighed and put down her drink, placing a five underneath it. Slowly she got up, just as the static from a loud speaker sounded.

"Okay everyone! Thank you all for coming out to Club Sapphyre! Let's all have a good time and let's give a round of applause to the bachelorette of the night; Makino Tsukushi! "

Just as people began clapping, a spotlight settled onto Tsukushi, making her heart speed up in the unwanted attention. Halfheartedly she smiled before trying to get out of the spotlight; to her dismay the light followed her path.

"The Club Sapphyre staff, in collaboration with Shika Manda has a surprise for our guest of honor. Makino Tsukushi you have an appointment with Dr. Love in the backroom! Now everyone let's get it on~"

The music started up again and Tsukushi found herself being pushed along to what she supposed was the backroom. Manda was definitely going to pay for this! Finally she reached a red door that had a sign that said 'Backroom' on it. Tsukushi looked back, looking for a familiar face; she found no one. She took a deep breath, deciding to just get it over with. She pushed open the door to reveal the last person she'd ever thought she'd see at this party.

"Rui? Y-you're Dr. Love?"

Rui was seated on a leather couch, dressed from head to toe in white leather that clung to him like a second skin. He looked up at her, obviously uncomfortable with his part in all of this. On his cheeks was a sort of flush… Then it dawned on Tsukushi. Rui was _embarrassed._ She couldn't fathom why though; he looked absolutely _**gorgeous**_. Yes, she was used to seeing Rui in white, but the way that leather clung to him… And with its shine, the material only served to make his long fiery hair stand out all the more.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui's heart was racing, and he knew he was blushing, but still he couldn't take his eyes off of his surprised fiancée. She was clad in a green and white dress he had never seen before, her hair swept up in a messy knot on the back of her head. She looked so beautiful. Rui dropped his gaze; really hating the fact that he had went along with this insane idea. It had been easy enough to tell himself that he would just act cool, go through with what Manda had told him to do and live to see his wedding day. Apparently it was easier said than done. Rui stood up, determined to go through with it; after all he wasn't going to back out… especially with what Manda had promised him if he did go through with it. Rui almost swore when a slow techno song came on, with thumping somewhat animalistic bass. Why did he let himself get talked into this?

He moved towards Tsukushi, caressing her cheek lightly, a devious smile making its way onto his face. Tsukushi froze under his touch, and Rui picked her up bridal style; she didn't struggle. He put her softly onto the couch and then took off the leather jacket, revealing the fact that he only had a leather vest underneath, stark white save for a blood red embroidered on the right bottom corner. Rui winked at her cheekily, hoping that he didn't look stupid swaying to the music like he was. Slowly he circled her, planting kisses on her neck every now and then. The song increased in tempo, and with a gulp he began unbuttoning the leather vest, somewhat glad to be rid of it; at the same time though, he felt incredibly stupid. Was he doing this right? That's when the door crashed open.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Akira was aggravated; ever since Rui had given Edra his number, the woman hadn't let up. Always calling and following him everywhere. Never mind that their families were enemies, no the woman thought she was in _love_ with him! God that pissed him off; she pissed him off. He had even been nice enough to explain that he was going through a hard time, what with Manda choosing Tsukasa. Even then the woman kept following him around.

He had thought that he was going to be safe from her at Rui's bachelor party, but when he'd heard that all too familiar 'Akira-kun~' he had wanted to bang his head against the nearest wall. What did he have to do to make the woman understand? Did he have to put out a hit on her so she could understand that he had no interest in her? That's when an idea popped into his head. He didn't have to make it so complicated; he was over thinking it. All he had to do was kiss someone else at the party, and make sure that _she _was watching. Hopefully he could infuriate her so much that they would go back to being enemies.

Akira sighed and he rested his head on the cool glass of the table he sat at. It had been a good plan, except for the fact that the only girls were strippers and he had learned his lesson about strippers when one had stalked him and then held him at gunpoint, threatening to kill herself if he didn't go out with her; thankfully the SWAT team had gotten to her and no one died. Still that lesson wasn't one he was going to forget soon. He banged his head softly against the glass. Why couldn't there be girls at a bachelor party!

That's when he spotted a girl with brown hair talking into a walkie-talkie. It hit Akira like an oncoming train.

"Saranghae-chan!"

The girl stopped long enough to turn around and then waved towards him, obviously confused. Akira ran towards her and then turned to make sure Edra was watching him, which she was.

"Sorry Saranghae; I'll explain later."

He grabbed her by her wrist and pressed his lips to hers, amazed when fireworks went off inside his head.

**Le gasp! I know- Gertrude loves cliffies and she's unashamed about it. Review?**


	34. Call It One Final Stand

**Yo minna! Yay my second back to back update~ Okay so thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie and b . aka-chan for reviewing! Without further ado here's the next installment of –cue dramatic music- Call It Fate!**

**(It's kinda feels like a filler to me though~)**

Sarina was making her rounds when she noticed something weird; one of the club's employees had his ear pressed to the door leading into the room where Rui and Tsukushi were. Sarina scowled; what was that guy doing? Tsubaki had ordered both her and her twin to watch over the parties, mainly because she didn't like the fact that there were so many people that could easily have been bought off by Rui's family. If that did happen then it was hers and Saranghae's job to make sure that no one came to harm; after all it was a party!

Sarina made her way over to the suspicious man; he was tall with copper hair with a slight build. Sarina could probably take him easily. She pulled out her flashlight and flashed it on his face, eliciting a startled expression.

"Excuse me sir, but I need to ask that you move away from that door."

The man gave her a withering look, which was quickly replaced by a cocky smile. He moved towards her, and leaned down; he lifted her chin up with his index finger, a creepy smile on his face.

"What a pretty girl; why don't you run along and later on we'll have a cha-"

Sarina kicked him in the gut, making him double over in pain. No one talked to her like that- especially some sleazy stranger. She was surprised though when he almost instantly recovered.

"Feisty; leave me alone- my girlfriend is in there!"

Sarina stared at him, confused. Tsukushi…? Her face set into a familiar scowl; this guy was a lunatic, which meant the threat he had posed before was now doubled. She had to get him away from that room. Sarina moved cautiously, circling him before sweeping her leg out so that she hit the back of his knees. He fell but grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her down to him. She pushed against his chest, trying to get away, and managed to get out from under him. She scrambled a few feet away,. Only to be dragged towards the guy again. Instinctively she punched him, not caring where her hit landed, so long as it did land.

Sarina heard a sharp intake of breath, but was not released from his grip; it just tightened. She tried to scramble to her feet, and managed to straighten up; the only con was that the man she was fighting against had gotten up as well. They circled each other, the guy throwing the first punch, which Sarina dodged all too easily. However when she avoided a kick he sent her way, she lost her balance and fell forward, onto the guy. The guy in turn fell backwards into the door; Sarina yelped when she heard the sound of metal giving in, and before she could understand what was happening, they were inside the room.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"Junpei?"

Tsukushi was in utter shock as she took in the scene before her. Junpei was on the floor, with Sarina on top of him, a bruise already forming on her cheek. The two had obviously been fighting before they fell into the room. Tsukushi looked to Rui for help, but found he was busy holding back his instinct to go and kick the crap out of her ex. Sighing, Tsukushi got up and helped Sarina get off Junpei, who gave out a relieved sigh when the girl was lifted off of him. Sarina shot him a glare, and attempted to kick the boy, but Tsukushi held her back; the last thing that they needed was to have a fist fight break out. Though, from the looks of Junpei, Sarina could hold her own in combat.

"What the _hell_ are you doing here? I thought we made it clear last time that you have no business with Tsukushi?"

Tsukushi turned to look at Rui, whose voice was more of a growl than anything. She shrugged it off though; if she had been in Rui's position she probably would've already beaten Junpei to a pulp. Junpei on the other hand was the epitome of calm. He moved forward and grabbed Rui's bare shoulder; Rui's fists clenched.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui was pissed; what was this idiot doing here? Rui shrugged the hand off of his shoulder, not bothering to button up the vest.

"If I were you, I'd leave right now."

Rui tried to keep his voice under control. He didn't want to get into a fight the night before his wedding; especially not at a party. He watched as Junpei's mouth turned up into a condescending smile. The idiot boy walked toward him, sizing him up even though he knew fully well that he was shorter and slighter than Rui.

"And if I don't want to?"

Rui felt his fist fly of its own accord. He didn't understand why, but this idiot made his blood boil from first sight. Where he was usually calm and composed, the boy had the talent of pushing every button that Rui possessed until finally he resorted to violence. Rui was about to throw another punch when he felt a familiar cool hand on his left shoulder. His muscles unclenched and Rui turned around to look at Tsukushi, who shook her head.

"He's not worth it…"

She tiptoed so that her mouth was at his ear; her breath was warm on his lobe and it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Let me take care of him."  
She dropped back down to her feet and then strode past him, eyes focused on Junpei. Rui felt himself tense; ready to take care of the idiot if he so much as touched his love.

"Why the hell are you here Junpei? Didn't Rui and I make ourselves clear at the apartment?"

Rui's hands closed into fists when Junpei leered at Tsukushi.

"I thought you might've changed your mind sweetheart. After all…"

Rui had to restrain himself when Junpei got in back of Tsukushi, finger trailing lightly up her defined cheekbone.

"… I'm three times the man that ginger over there will _ever_ be."

Rui moved a step forward, wanting nothing more than to pounce on the idiot. Maybe this is what Tsukasa felt like all the time? If it was then Rui couldn't blame him for getting into as many fights as he did. Rui's blood was hot, already filled with adrenaline from his attempt at stripping, and only fueled by the utter loathing he had for the copper haired boy.

**WHAM!**

Junpei was sent flying backwards into a heart motif that was mounted on the wall, eyes rolling backwards as he fell unconscious. Tsukushi was breathing heavily, the knuckles on her right hand a vibrant shade of red.

"Rui's ten times the man you could ever hope to be."

Tsukushi walked over to him, a smile making its way onto her face.

"How about you and me continue this… at _home._"

She reached up to him, and kissed the corner of his lips, leaving him wanting more. Rui smiled back at her, and grabbed her hand in his, loving the way her hand seemed to fit perfectly with his.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Manda looked at the small plastic stick, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. Could the result actually be correct? Manda looked up at the clock, seeing that it was already three in the morning. Slowly, she made her way out of the women's restroom and sat down at a table, trying to process the news. Well first she'd have to go to the doctor- see if it wasn't a false positive. She looked across the room, searching for that familiar head of curly hair and sighed upon not finding him. Where was Tsukasa when you needed him?

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Saranghae pushed Akira off of her, utterly confused. What the HELL had just happened? She had just been patrolling the area, making sure nothing was amiss, when he suddenly kissed her! Saranghae's hand flew up to her lips, unsure of what to do next. What did you do one when of the biggest playboy's in the universe kissed you?

**-chases after Gertrude and trips- The end of another chapter and consequently another cliffy (it rhymes lol) Okay so I think the next chapter is going to be the wedding scene and will probably be posted tomorrow! And with the plotline I have in mind, there is like a 99.99% chance that I will be writing a sequel, meaning next chapter might be the last one. Review? **


	35. Call It The Day Of The Wedding

**Yo minna! I cannot believe this is the final chapter of this fic. -wipes away tear- I just want to thank you all for sticking with me through it all. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and alerted. Seeing those e-mails really pumped me up, and it was because of**_** your **_**encouragement and praise that I was able to write this fic, the longest fic I have written. I present to you the last chapter of Call It Fate!**

Rui smiled as he watched Tsukushi sleep. He couldn't believe that in a few short hours, she'd finally be his. He'd finally get to watch her walk down the aisle; finally he'd be hers. Tsukushi turned over so that she was facing his chest and when he chuckled, she snuggled closer into him. As cute as she was when she was like this, they had to start getting ready. Tsukushi was going to go over to Manda's because she had stashed the dress there, insisting that he not see it till she was walking down the aisle. He had been a bit disappointed but had conceded; after all when it came to things like that, he really couldn't (wouldn't) argue with her. He was going to Tsukasa's, mainly because he wanted to make sure that his best friend (who had a tendency of sleeping in at the most inopportune times) was awake.

"Tsukushi… it's time to wake up."

She stirred but didn't open her eyes, obviously still tired from the night before. Rui blushed at his thought; _that _had been quite an experience… He shook his head attempting to get his mind out of the gutter. He looked at the clock; it was already nine. Rui moved from Tsukushi's side, instead moving over her, so that he could whisper in her ear.

"Time to wake up… _Mrs. Hanazawa_."

Sure enough Tsukushi's eyes opened wide, her sleep filled mind no doubt wondering if she had missed the ceremony or something. Her eyes focused and then the realization that today was _the_ day, her face became exultant. She sat up and leaned against him; she was so warm…

"That's not for a few more hours _Mr. Hanazawa_."

She kissed him softly then got up, never taking her eyes off of him. That's when he noticed the playful smile on her face.

"I'm going to take a shower; care to join me?"

Rui blushed slightly, but got up out of the bed and followed her into the bathroom.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Manda stared impatiently at her watch. Where the hell was Tsukushi? She sat down on the edge of Tsukasa's bed. She had come over to Tsukasa's house because she had thought that maybe Tsukushi had gotten a ride with Rui and was held up over here. Unfortunately she was wrong. Manda reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, getting increasingly impatient.

_Catch a ride with Rui; I'm over at Tsukasa's and I'll take you over to my house. _

Manda closed her phone, not quite sure why she was so irritated. She should be happy for her friend. No, she _was _happy. But ever since her revelation the night before she had been on edge, mostly because she didn't know how to break the news to Tsukasa. Would he be happy that she was carrying their child? Would he be mad? She closed her eyes. She was driving herself insane by worrying over it. He wouldn't be mad. He'd probably be shocked, but then what man wouldn't be?

Manda jumped slightly when the bathroom door opened, revealing a freshly showered Tsukasa, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Manda looked down, blushing as her thoughts flew to the other night.

"Rui and Makino still not here yet _chibi_?"

Manda stuck her tongue out at the nickname then shook her head. She looked back down at her hands, trying to decide whether or not she was making a mistake in telling him at that moment. He looked so happy… Manda felt her resolve flutter slightly. No! If she didn't tell him now, chances were, she wouldn't tell him until it became obvious. She looked back to see Tsukasa pulling on a white button down shirt, already in his pressed pants. She got up, her heart beating feverishly and went to him. When he didn't notice that she was behind him, she wrapped her arms around him.

He turned around, a smile on his face and hugged her close to him.

"Ano… Tsukasa… I have to tell you something… It's really important… but I don't know how to say it…"

Tsukasa softened his hold on her, so that he could look her in the eyes. Manda just blushed harder. Slowly she pulled out of his arms and then took a few steps back, still trying to harden her resolve.

"You see… last night… I-I noticed that I was behind on my… my p-p-eriod… and I freaked out and ran to the convenience store and picked up… p-picked up… a p-pregnancy t-test…"

God she was so nervous! She could hardly string the words together. She was tempted to sneak a peek at Tsukasa, just to gauge his reaction, but decided against it. She was afraid of what those eyes might hold.

"Anyway… umm… I-I-I'm…. pregn-"

Before she could finish the word, she was swept off her feet and being hugged insanely tight.

"Manda! We're going to be parents! For a moment at the beginning I thought you were going to break up with me but – Oh! We're going to have a child!"

Manda felt tears of joy run down her cheeks as she held him tighter. How could she have ever thought that he'd be mad?

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukushi sat back in Rui's car, never taking her eyes off of him. In a few hours, they'd belong to each other forever. She smiled ecstatically when they pulled up to Tsukasa's mansion, confused when Rui motioned for her not to get out. He got out and then walked over to her side of the car and pulled open the door for her, offering her his hand.

Tsukushi giggled slightly, feeling buoyant and took his hand, intertwining his fingers with her own. He closed the door and then hand in hand they made their way up to the usually foreboding steps. Tsukushi opened the door, when two figures fell out, catching both her and Rui by surprise. Tsukushi felt the wind knocked out of her as someone fell on top of her. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was.

"Well this brings back some memories, doesn't it Makino?"

Tsukasa laughed, but it was short lived when Tsukushi pushed him off of her, remembering that time in her apartment all too clearly. Tsukasa landed with a soft 'oof' and Tsukushi turned to see Manda laughing at Rui, who had possibly the most shocked expression that either girl had ever seen before.

Tsukushi watched as Manda got up off of him and walked over to her. Then she was encased in a bone breaking hug.

"Tsukushi! Omigosh! I'm so happy. Finally you're getting married… and I'm pregnant!"

Tsukushi felt her eyes widen in surprise then she returned her friend's hug, feeling nothing but joy for her friend.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"Don't squirm! We're almost finished!"

Manda made a few last adjustments then stood back to marvel at the masterpiece that was Tsukushi. The dress fit her _perfectly_, clinging in all the right places and then flowing down in a way that made the dress resemble an inverted calla lily. Tsukushi felt her eyes widened, as all of her nervousness went away. Her gaze was transfixed on the girl in the mirror.

She looked tall and graceful, in her white dress. The dress was long, reaching to the floor. It had beading down the sides of the bodice that went down diagonally then went up in a 'v' shape at the bottom of the bodice. It was strapless and relatively simple, but Tsukushi liked it. Her hair was up in an elegant bun with her bangs framing her face.

"Manda... Omigosh..."

The short girl appeared from behind her, looking nothing short of amazing in her pale blue gown with her curls flowing out around her.

"Go on, tell me I'm amazing; especially since Edra bailed on you today."

Tsukushi couldn't help but frown at that. A bit after she and Rui had gotten out of the shower, she had gotten a call from her wedding planner who sounded distraught. She had told Tsukushi that something came up, and she couldn't make it to the ceremony. After that she had hung up without further explanation. Hopefully the usually intense girl was alright... Something occurred to Tsukushi.

"You don't think Akira did something to her... Do you?"

Manda seemed to contemplate it, then shrug it off.

"If he did then it's something for him to deal with. I could understand if it involved Yuki or Saranghae but... Edra is really just someone you hired. You shouldn't have to worry about her on your big day!"

Tsukushi winced at the harshness of Manda's words but had to see the truth in her words. She shouldn't be worrying. After all she was marrying the person she loved the most in the entire universe. Just at the thought of her love waiting out there for her, Tsukushi felt a smile come up on her face and her expression lightened considerably. She was getting _married_ to _Rui_ ! With that thought all other train of thought flew out the window.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui was nervous as hell- and it was all thanks to Tsukasa and his lack of a brain.

_"So today's the big day! My best friend is finally getting married."_

_Rui just nodded, too lost in his musings of the ceremony. He had gotten ready in about ten minutes and he still had about 5 hours to wait. _

_"Come on show some enthusiasm! It's like talking to man on death row!"_

_Rui scowled at him, but it didn't last more than a few seconds. He was too filled with joy for Tsukasa to put a damper on his mood. _

_"I'm just a little nervous."_

_"I don't know why you're nervous; it's not like Makino is going to be kidnapped in the five hours that are left till the ceremony!"_

Rui scowled; it was in fact possible that Tsukushi could be kidnapped- especially with what had happened the night before. Rui looked at his watch, tucked underneath the sleeve of his custom white tuxedo, and breathed out in relief. There were only ten minutes until the actual ceremony was supposed to start. Rui got up off the seat, and walked towards the door, wanting to peek at the guests.

He had invited his family- with the condition that they were not to cause trouble. Rui quietly opened the double doors to see that everything was perfect outside; both he and Tsukushi had wanted an outdoor wedding. Everything was gorgeous. The chairs were soft and white, with a periwinkle blue cloth draped over the middle section of the seats. On the side of the aisle seats, light blue bows with flowers fixed onto them were tied on. The alter at the very end of the aisle was under a white gazebo, with it's fair share of flowers and fabric affixed to the columns holding the roof up.

Rui tore his gaze away from the beautiful decorations and looked to the guests. Tsukushi's side was filled, with an extra row of chairs at the end. Everyone was dressed elegantly and looked absolutely happy. Rui had to smile; he was glad that Tsukushi had come from a family who cared so much about her. Slowly, he tore his gaze away from Tsukushi's family to glance over at his side. He didn't react when he saw it was almost empty.

His grandmother sat at the very front, looking dignified if angry, with her heavily embroidered silver and white kimono; no one sat next to her. In the row behind her sat Akira (who looked slightly dazed), Sojirou. Next to them sat Shigeru (a fixed engagement gone horribly wrong- not that he'd objected much) and a few of his cousins, who were probably only here for face value; he doubted that word hadn't gotten out about him not inheriting the company. They probably were just here to try and get on the old hag's good side.

Rui sighed and closed the door, slightly crestfallen. He shrugged; what had he been expecting? His father? His father wouldn't come if the Earth's existence depended on it. His mother? Rui snorted somewhat derisively at the thought. His mother was currently on an extended shopping excursion in France. Rui sighed again, trying desperately to regain the joy that had filled him so completely before he had made the mistake of looking out the door. Sure he didn't like the way that his parent's went about things, but in the end... Rui sighed again as he heard the fanfare start.

Then chaos erupted and Rui found it easier to shove his angst into the back of his mind and get caught up in the moment. Akira's sisters moved to the very front of the procession, visions of white and pale pink lace; they were the flower girls. Next came Manda, in an elegant light blue gown, followed closely by some of Tsukushi's friends, including Saranghae, who looked a perturbed as Akira. Rui shrugged to himself. Knowing Akira he had probably been escorted off the premises for getting drunk and causing a riot among the strippers the night before- it wouldn't have been the first time.

"Rui! What the hell are you doing in here? You're supposed to be at the _end _of the aisle with Tsukasa!"

Rui snapped out of his reverie to look down at Manda, who was sending him a glare filled with so much venom that it could've killed a python. Rui nodded to her, and then made his way out the door, reveling in the reality that it was the beginning of the end of an era; the next time he walked through those double doors, it would be with Tsukushi as his wife. And another era would start.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**(Okay so the next bit is a bit confusing. It is told from both Rui and Tsukushi's point of view. **_**Tsukushi's part will be in Italics**_** while Rui's POV is in regular font.)**

_Her heart was thundering in her chest, banging against her rib cage in an attempt to escape. Her palms were sweaty, and she was afraid that the bouquet of white lilies_ _was going to slip out of her grip. Yuuki smiled at her then motioned her to follow after she passed through the doors. Tsukushi smiled, filled to the brink with joy. She looked at her dad, who looked like he was going to cry any moment. She smiled exultantly, wanting to record every moment of this in her mind. Her heartbeat sped up even more as the wedding march came on; with a deep breath she stepped out into the light of the sunny day._

Rui felt as though the air had been stolen from him the moment that Tsukushi walked out into the open daylight. She looked absolutely radiant; her cheeks were flushed, which served to make her even more beautiful. His own blushing bride. She was wearing the most amazing dress- it was perfect. She was perfect. Rui smiled so wide he thought his facewould split in two. Finally Tsukushi and her father reached them, and in one of the oldest symbols he had ever seen, Tsukushi's dad placed her hand in his.

"Take care of my daughter, Rui."

"I will."

_Tsukushi looked at Rui, feeling a sense of peace come over her. He looked amazing; his white tux wasn't all that different from what he usually wore but then again she thought he always looked like an angel- her angel. He turned to her, never taking his eyes off of hers. The minister was about to start, but with a signal from Rui he paused. Rui reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a red handkerchief. He wrapped it over his hand, then pulled it off revealing a vibrant red rose. Everyone gasped, including her; she would have to get Rui to show her that one. He smiled up at her, then winked as he put the rose in the middle of the white flowers of her bouquet. He took her hand in his again and then turned to the minister who began._

"Dearly beloved, today we gather here to witness the union of these two young people..."

Rui let his mind wander a bit, staring at Tsukushi, marveling at the fact that she was going to be his; she smiled at him, looking as though she was thinking the same thing. There was only her and him in that moment, a moment where there was absolute silence before the taking of the vows began. When the crossing of the final threshold.

"... Hanazawa Rui do you take Makino Tsukushi as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?" 

Rui locked eyes with Tsukushi, and felt as though he was falling into her very soul...

"I do."

_"... And do you Makino Tsukushi take Hanazawa Rui as your lawfully wedded husband to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"_

_Tsukushi felt the tears gather in her eyes. Finally after so much strife and so many trials that they had gone through together, they were finally going to belong to each other. Finally. _

_"I do."_

_"Please exchange rings."_

_Tsukushi was going to slip on Rui's ring first, but quicker than she could have anticipated, he slipped the ring onto her finger; his hand was warm on hers. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, never taking his eyes off of her. _

Rui pulled his lips away, still not breaking his gaze. Tsukushi took his hand and slipped on the ring, her hand smooth and cool on his own feverish one. She looked up at him, a shy blush lingering on her face.

".. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife; you may now kiss the bride."

Rui leaned forward and pressed his lips to Tsukushi's, letting the passion flow out of him freely and go into that single kiss. His arms found their way around her waist just as Tsukushi's went up around his neck, hands tangling in his hair. As his lips moved with hers, he felt at peace with everything.

_His lips were soft yet passionate against hers. Her hands tangled in his fiery locks, inadvertently pressing him closer to her. His arms held her closer to him, and at that moment it was as though they were both one; one person, one soul, one love. _

Rui pulled away slowly, needing air. Then he heard the tittering of the crowd and felt a blush come over his cheeks. Just how long had they been kissing?

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"To the newlyweds; Mr. And Mrs. Hanazawa!"

Manda watched as Tsukushi and Rui stepped into the middle of the crowd, ready for their first dance as a married couple. She wiped at her eyes, remembering how utterly beautiful the ceremony had been. She could only hope that hers and Tsukasa's wedding would be like that. Manda turned around to see Tsukasa talking with Sojirou, a wide smile on his face. Manda sighed; he probably had already told everyone and their mother's that she was pregnant. He was so excited about being a father. She looked around the room, catching a glimpse of a certain spy-girl exiting the room.

Slightly worried Manda followed Saranghae out the door, almost losing sight of her as she walked into a small garden.  
"What's wrong Saranghae?"

The brunette sat on a bench, looking down at the ground, looking even more perturbed than she had earlier. Maybe something had happened. Saranghae looked up at her, eyes darkened because she was under a tree. Something was off about them... But Manda couldn't put her finger on it.

"Akira kissed me and I don't know what to do!"

Manda felt her brows lift and, curious she sat down.

"When did it happen?"

"Last night; he did it to get Edra off his back."

Manda felt a fury consume her; she got up, wanting nothing more than to mangle the playboy. Nobody messed with her friend like that. Manda turned to face Saranghae, caught up in the moment.

"Don't worry! I'll take care of that idiot! You won't have to worry, Sarang..."

Her eyes widened as she looked into Saranghae's eyes; Saranghae didn't have green eyes. She backed away as a realization hit her- Sarina did though. But why lure her out here...? As the truth dawned on her Manda tried to run, only to be ambushed by people in camo suits. One grabbed her and injected something into her arm; it made the world blur. Weakly she struggled as she was carried, fighting to keep conscious. It wasn't until she was being loaded into a van that finally the world went black.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Yes my lovelies, even at the very end there has to be a cliffie. However there will be an Epilogue posted in the next couple of days, in which I will post the link and title to the sequel. So it is not till the next chappie that I will write down those two fateful words and switch the status to 'Complete' Review?**


	36. Call It An Epilogue

**Yo minna! Okay so here's the epilogue- the official last chapter of the fic! I wanna take a moment to once again thank everyone who took the time to read, review,favorite and alert for this fic. You guys are what inspired me and pushed me to finish this long fic. And you all are the reason I'm going to write a sequel to this fic! Now without further ado, I bring you the final chapter of Call It Fate!**

"Domyoji-sama, Mizuki-san requests to see you."

Kaede looked up from her desk; she was still in the process of fixing everything so Tsukasa could take over. And now that all her obstacles were out of her way- well almost all of them, but if all went as planned the night before then Sarina would be bringing her good news. Kaede smirked to herself. It had been child's play to convert that little idiot over to her side. All it had taken was a bit of kindness, something that Kanna had failed to do. Instead she had created a sycophant, who would and could snap out of idoling the other woman. Though Kaede wasn't quite sure if 'idoling' was the correct word for what Sarina had been doing to Kanna.

Kaede shrugged; it didn't matter though. Sarina had done her job; she had helped orchestrate the kidnapping. Kaede frowned. Admittedly Tsukasa's marriage to the Shika brat would've been useful- until the brat had renounced her inheritance over the company. Still Kaede had been willing to let that slide; however when she had caught wind of the fact that the girl was _pregnant_, she had decided enough was enough. She would not allow her company to be tainted with what amounted to commoner blood.

"Kaeda-sama, I completed my mission. The girl is secured in the plane and is headed off shores as we speak."

Kaede smiled, and turned to look out the window.

"And the child?"

"Um... We're still about eight and a half months away from dealing with that."

Kaede turned, an incredulous look on her face.

"I will not allow her to have that child. I don't plan on having her in captivity forever! I just want to get rid of the child and then make it so she can never return to Japan."

Sarina got up, a look of defiance on her face.

"I will not commit murder; even if it's for you Kaede-sama."

Kaede looked at her then turned back around.

"Have it your way; however if that child finds out about it's heritage you had better be far away from this place Sarina. I will not have a commoner rule the empire I have worked at building my entire life."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Akira looked at his cell phone, ignoring the fact that Tsukasa had called him for the tenth time. He had other matters to attend to, namely Saranghae. Besides, knowing his friend, he was probably just calling to tell him that Manda was pregnant even though he had told him at the reception.

Akira sighed; he couldn't help but feel a bit bitter to the fact that Manda had chosen Tsukasa over him. Would it affect his friendship with her? No, because a small part of him loved her still. Did it affect his friendship with Tsukasa? Most definitely. He was happy that his friend had found a girl, he just wished it hadn't been the girl he had fallen for. He would be happy for Tsukasa, but that didn't mean that he had to _watch_ him be happy.

Akira looked at the address he had in his hand. He had gotten the address from Tsubaki, who had told him that if she wasn't visiting Tsukasa and consequently staying in the Domyouji villa, Saranghae wasn't there; she was in an apartment straight across town. Apparently Tsubaki needed eyes in Tokyo even when she wasn't looked up at the upscale building and frowned a bit when he noticed that it was the type of place where you had to be buzzed into the building by the tenant. He was glad that Saranghae was being protected, but it was a pain; that meant that he couldn't jut knock on her door anonymously.

Slowly he walked up to the buzzing system on the outside of the front door and pressed the button on the numbered key. He waited a few seconds and then miraculously the door buzzed obnoxiously and opened. Akira just shrugged it off; maybe there were cameras.

He made his way through the door and then up a flight of stairs. From what he'd understood, her apartment was on the second he made his way to the door marked 212 and knocked on it.

"Coming!"

There was fumbling with the doorknob and then it opened, revealing Saranghae.

"Ah... Come in.. Let me just go get something."

Akira went in, not knowing that that 'something' was duck tape and rope. **(a/n: don't worry if you don't get it, it's an inside joke; and if you really wanna know, read Saranghae-Minnie's last two reviews!) **

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa was utterly defeated. He didn't know what or how it had happened, but Manda had been kidnapped. This time no matter how many people he had on the hunt for her, it didn't matter; the love of his life had disappeared without a trace. Tsukasa rose up from his bed.

At first he had thought that maybe she had left with Saranghae or Yuuki, but after calling both he had gotten worried. Then he had called her father, toying with the idea that maybe she had gone to tell her family that she was pregnant. That turned out to be a negative and only succeeded in worrying her family. Tsukasa reached out for a stack of flyers that had Manda's picture on them; he wouldn't give up. He would have Manda back with him, and he would never stop loving her; his heart would never belong to another, not even if she was gone from his side for a thousand years.

**I hope you all enjoyed this last chapter, even though I don't think its in my top 5 favorite chappies (RuiXTsukushi wedding scene is number 1 though!) So here's the info for the sequel: **

**Title:Call It A Sequel (I don't really like the title so if you all have any suggestions...)**

**Background Summary: It's been 13 years since Rui and Tsukushi got married and the night Manda went missing. Rui's taken over managing Manda's café, and Tsukushi is a teacher. Enter, their children; twins, an outspoken boy named Ryo and a shy wallflower named Sora who go to a public school. Tsukasa, who never gave up hope, suddenly receives a surprise from his mother who is on her death bed. Yuki and Sojirou are married; and where the hell is Akira in this? All this and more in Call It A Sequel (again I am open to suggestions on the title...) **

**I will not post the link, but for sure the sequel will be up tomorrow, so until then... :) Review?**


	37. Call It A Time Jump

**Yo minna! Ok so I've decided to continue it in the same story; I could not bring myself to make another story; you see I have this weird thing with sequels and I have a feeling I might forget about it if I make it into another story so.. here it is, the next chappie in this long fic.. So I did some thinking, and for about the next two chapters will be set 5 years after Manda disappeared, instead of the original 13 that I'd posted in the other summary. Then I'll do a time jump... Well you'll understand when you get to that part- no need to give too much away ;) **

**5 Years after We Left Off...**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) **

Manda looked out over the tall skyscrapers of New York City, not able appreciate how beautiful the glowing city was. For half a decade, the crowded city had been her prison; the cold metal skyscrapers a barricade that kept her away from Japan. They kept her away from where she had given her heart away to her one true love, the person she had admired for so many years; it was also where her child was now.

Manda collapsed to the floor, feeling the tears of resentment fall down her cheeks. She didn't even try stopping them- she had learned long ago that tears wouldn't do her good.

After she had given birth to her baby girl five years ago, that traitor Sarina, had told her (in a streak of cruelty that Manda didn't know the girl possessed) that her baby was going to be dropped off in an orphanage in Japan. Manda knew she was rubbing it in her face that she would never see her daughter again. Now, halfway across the world her baby girl was having her fifth birthday- without her mother or father, or even knowing who she was.

_Flashback_

_"Wait! Please do me one favor!"_

_Sarina turned around to look coldly at her, holding the bundle of blankets that was her newborn baby; she had only held her for about five minutes before Sarina had taken her away._

_"I-if I'm never going to see her again... Do me one kindness..."_

_Manda felt the tears well up in her eyes; her resolve weakened slightly. She shook herself mentally. Someday she would get out of here, and see everyone she loved again._

_"...Name her Midori."_

_Sarina laughed derisively, obviously abused by the meaning behind the name._

_"Hope? You shouldn't have any of that left! But okay... I'll humor you; I'll name the brat Midori."_

_End Flashback_

Manda felt the rage building up in her chest and she got up from her spot on the floor. She was tired of seeing nothing but skyscrapers; she wanted to see her people. She wanted Tsukasa and her child and she'd be damned if a little thing like Kaede or Sarina stopped her. She would get out of New York- or die trying.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa sighed as he rubbed his neck. It had been a long day of negotiating deals, and he was more than tired- he was exhausted. To top it all off his mother was in the hospital; apparently she wasn't in very good condition and she was being a whiny hag about it ,demanding that he go visit her. There was a soft knock on his door and Tsukasa groaned, which his assistant took as a signal to come in.

The girl was short, with a cap of blonde hair and elfin features; not his type at all, but she got work done efficiently enough. Besides his heart belonged to the girl who had gone missing all those years ago.

"Domyouji-sama, there's something you need to see on TV."

Tsukasa sighed in exasperation; didnt anyone understand that he was _tired?_ If it was another one of those damned press conferences where the public creatures criticized him, then he didn't want to hear it. The way he was running things had improved the company's profit margin and he had been able to hire more people instead of laying them off.

"If it's another press conference-"

"It's about Shika-sama."

Tsukasa's eyes widened and he lunged for the TV.

"What channel?"

"7"

Tsukasa flipped through the channels until he got to seven. What he saw almost made him faint. There was a video streaming of a very familiar figure climbing down from twelve story window, with _sheets_ tied together. There was a voice-over.

"... The person has been identified as Manda Shika, the daughter and heir to the Shika group, and fiancée to the heir of the Domyouji Group; it caused quite a stir when she disappeared five years ago from the wedding of a close friend."

Tsukasa watched as she climbed down, hardly breathing. What was she thinking? If she _fell_...!

"...Fire-trucks are at the scene and they are going to send someone up there to ensure her safety. This is CNN News.."

Tsukasa got up from his place on the floor and got out his phone, dialing the number to his pilot. What was that little idiot doing? For god's sakes! vEven after all this time she still made him worry.

"I need to get to New York; I'm on my way to the hangar now."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui was cleaning up the café when his cell phone rang; it was Tsukushi. He sighed as he looked around the spotless cafe;after Manda had disappeared, Rui had taken over the cafe on Tsukasa's request, keeping it in shape for the day that Manda would come home.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Rui, they've found Manda!"

Rui nearly dropped the glass he had in his hand. He pressed the phone harder to his ear, a smile coming over his face.

"Where?"

"New York."

He set down the glass and took off the apron, already making plans; it looked like his family was taking an impromtu trip to New York.

"Does Tsukasa know already?"

"Yea, he's already on his way to his private hangar. He called saying to grab our kids and follow in his second plane."

Rui moved to the door, already reaching for his keys in his pocket. He looked around the cafe again, remembering the way Manda had bustled around the place. The cafe hadnt been the same without her in it. It just seemed... to lack energy and luster. Manda was a part of the cafe, whether she knew it or not.

"Are the kids out yet?"

"No; I left early when I got the call from Tsukasa. Ryo and Sora just got out; I'm on my way to pick them up."

Rui closed the door to Manda's café, locking it behind him.

"Where are you?"

"I'm still at the café."

"I'll meet you at the hangar after I pick up the kids."

"Okay; be safe my love."

"You too, speedracer."

The line 'clicked' as the call came to an end and Rui chuckled at the reference to his driving. He got into his white Martin Aston and put the keys in, already deciding what route to take to the hangar. He was glad that Tsukasa was finally going to get his happy ending.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Short I know and late- but alas Gertrude has escaped from me once more. Review?**


	38. Call It A Reunion

**Yo minna! Okay so I apologize for the last chapter- definitely not one of my better chappies D: Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie and b . aka-chan for their reviews. **

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa bolted off of the plane, ignoring the flight attendants questions of what to do with his pre-packed luggage. They could throw them in the Atlantic for all he cared; all that mattered was that he get down to the building. He had been following the story through CNN while on the plane and had nearly fainted when she disappeared off the screen; from the camera's point of view it looked like she had fallen. However the reporter covering the story said that she had been pulled in through a window on the eighth story, presumably by her captors.

Tsukasa kept running down the street; his hangar was two blocks away from the building in question. Whoever had taken Manda had some balls to hide her close to the private hangar which he frequented about twice a month. He caught sight of the crowd and urged himself on faster.

After what seemed like a mile, he reached the crowd, which had dissipated some since had originally seen the broadcast. The ones who left had probably thought that Manda had been taken in by some good Samaritan or something. The bells going off in his head agreed with the reporter. Manda was in the hands of her captors, no ifs ands or buts about it.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Manda was running frantically, desperately trying to find her way to some stairs. She knew very well that Sarina owned this building, having had it bought for her by Kaede. If she could get to the stairs, she'd be home free- after all, they were expecting her to take the elevator and she had already taken a detour there before she'd attempted to rappel down the building. She turned the hallway and felt her heart sink- there were five burly guys waiting for her by the stairwell; she had been so close... The guys popped their knuckles, and chuckled darkly as they approached her. Manda felt her heart beat faster; all that work... Effort gone to waste.. She wanted to sink to her knees and sob until the day was out, but something in her kept her standing.

"You'll be sorry for that little girl; ya should'a never done that- now we're gonna have to move ya somewhere far away where no one will find you!"

"Over my dead body!"

Then one of the bigger guys fell face first and then the two guys next to him fell, revealing someone she hadn't seen in five long years.

"Tsukasa!"

She launched herself forward and jumped into his arms, not caring that they were in the middle of enemy territory; all that mattered was that he was here and holding her. It had been so long since anyone had shown her any affection... Any sign of caring...

"I missed you chibi... You have no idea..."

He held her closer to him still while she buried her face in the crook of his neck, not able to do much else. It was at that exact moment that her limbs lost any ability they had to move. It was like she had been waiting for him to come get her... Then again it wasn't so surprising that he was here- after all her stunt ,along with her name, had probably aired across the majority of the world's TV. It wasn't everyday you had an heiress who had disappeared half a decade ago, reappear climbing down a thirty two story skyscraper- granted she had only been as high as the twelfth story, but still if she had fallen... It probably would have made headlines.

She looked up from the crook of his neck and stared into his eyes... It had been _way_ too long.

She pressed her lips to his, soft at first but soon it turned more passionate. Her hands flew up to tangle in his hair while he pulled her impossibly close.

"Bravo; the perfect cliché ending. The kidnapped _princess_ gets rescued by her prince and they live happily ever after!"

They broke apart, fear already making Manda's eyes wide. Sarina! Sarina stepped forward from the small group, clad in a pair of designer jeans and a simple black shirt. The moment Manda saw the high heeled boots, Manda knew that Sarina had gone soft from the last time she'd seen her. Kaede had spoiled her, and both would pay the price with her freedom. Without letting go of Tsukasa, Manda swept her foot out, kicking Sarina's heeled feet out from under her. Who was the princess now?

The arrogant girl fell back with a shriek; Manda got up from Tsukasa's embrace, pulling him up with her.

"You've gone soft Sarina- too soft."

Manda knelt down and grabbed a fistful of her silk shirt.

"Now tell me- where the hell is my kid!"

Sarina scoffed and spit in her face.

"Like I would ever tell yo-"

Manda growled, wiping the spit off of her cheek and delivered a blow to her stomach, knocking the wind out of the girl. She pulled the fistful she had of shirt higher, watching in satisfaction when the fabric dug into Sarina's carefully tanned skin. Manda had never been much of a sadist, but for Sarina she'd make an exception. Granted the girl had only been following orders, but the fact that she had went along with it the way she had... Sarina deserved what she was getting.

"Manda... You had our child... In this place?"

Manda turned to Tsukasa, her rage ebbing into sadness.

"Yes...and they took her from me after five minutes. Sarina said Midori was in Japan."

Tsukasa moved towards her, and caressed her cheeks, a deep sadness echoing her own in his eyes.

"We have a daughter...?"

Manda nodded, hands flying up to her stomach, flat where it had been round with their child. Tsukasa enveloped her in his arms, and she let the tears flow down her cheeks.

"Do you have any idea who's behind this?"

Manda drew a startled gasp at that; she hadn't figured telling Tsukasa who was behind everything so soon. Then again had she planned anything? Could she have planned anything?

"I know who it is... but you're not going to like it."

Tsukasa pulled back, a puzzled look on his face.

"I wouldn't like it no matter who it was- whoever orchestrated your kidnapping... They will pay, _after_ they tell us where our baby girl is."

Manda lowered her eyes, feeling her heart beat faster from some reason.

"Y-your m-m-mother... She came to visit me one time while I was pregnant... She said... She wasn't going to let any child who didn't have a pedigree succeed the company after you."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"Ryo! Don't be going over there!"

Rui chuckled as he watched Tsukushi chase after Ryo, who had managed to escape from the confines of his seatbelt and was now running down the airplane's aisle. Ryo was tall for his age, his head already having reached Tsukushi's hip; he had strawberry blonde hair that was slowly turning a soft auburn. A lot of people commented that Ryo looked a lot like Rui when he was smaller. Rui smiled as Tsukushi tackled Ryo to the floor, tickling him.

Sora, the younger of the two, was asleep on his lap and looked more like a five year old than her brother did. She had deep auburn curls, which were apparently from Tsukushi's side of the was delicate to the point where she was almost frail, different from her brother who was slight but still lithe.

"Rui! Could you help me?"

Rui looked up and contained a laugh as he saw Tsukushi trapped under a chair she had been crawling under to get at Ryo. Smirking he pointed to Sora who was sleeping very peacefully; she slept like him, scowled at him and with a playful sigh he set down Sora on the seat next to him. They were almost to the hangar in New York; he had asked the pilot before Sora fell asleep on his lap. He got up and went over to Tsukushi, chuckling all the while.

Rui got down on his knees and pulled her out of the chair, rubbing the shoulder that had gotten caught. Then with a wink he kissed her neck before kissing her full on the lips. She stiffened for a few seconds before he relaxed in his arms.

"Eeeww mommy is giving daddy cooties!"

Rui chuckled and pulled back, holding Tsukushi closer to him. Ryo and Sora were on the cushy seats, peering over the armrests, eyes wide. He rested his head on Tsukushi's, and smiled at his two angels.

"Technically daddy is giving mommy cooties."

The two 'ewwed' at that and in response he kissed her again before being punched lightly by his wife.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Yay! Another chappie completed, and Gertrude didn't run off this time. Review?**


	39. Call It Another First Meeting

**Yo minna! Here is another chappie! Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie for her review! (Sadly, everyone must be looking for the sequel because, I got no other reviews...)**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**In Tokyo...**

Kaede coughed, feeling as though her throat was on fire. She was in the hospital, apparently with some rare throat disease; they had already determined she had no more than two days at most. The virus had spread quickly and efficiently, attacking her immune system in a destructive Blitzkrieg.

She covered her mouth, bloodshot eyes intent on the footage being streamed on CNN. Initially Kaede had been wishing with all her might that the girl would be caught; that she would never get to reveal what Kaede had done... Then the news film recorded a curly haired man running into the building. Although the news network had no idea who he was, she did. Tsukasa had found the girl.

Now as she lay back on the silk sheets of her hospital bed, she knew it was over; she had to make sure that Tsukasa knew his child. As she went through each pain filled cough, she understood that karma had finally caught up with her. Maybe this last good deed would absolve some of her sins.

She sat up, feeling her chest contract in protest. She reached over to the bedside table and picked up a piece of stationary from the pile she'd ordered earlier, and then grabbed her ornate pen.

_Tsukasa, I know I've done wrong in keeping your fiancée and child from you. In these last moments_ , _I've come to realize that you need to know your child; _

Kaede moaned in pain as she coughed again; she removed her hand from her mouth and felt the world spin slightly when she saw blood staining her pale hand.

_She's in Tokyo-her name is _

Kaede coughed again, her head throbbing with each rough breath; more blood stained her hand.

_Midori _

With that last word Kaede felt the pen slip from her hand and the world slowly went black. A few minutes afterwards her breathing stilled and Tsukasa's mother died.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"Tsukushi!"

Tsukushi looked up from watching Ryo. Her son was eating some nuggets and the last time she had left him alone with them he had gotten one lodged up his nose. She smiled as she saw Manda, running towards her, a sad sort of smile on her face. She tackled Tsukushi pulling her into a strong hug; it was a few seconds later that she felt someone tugging on the skirt she was wearing.

"Mama, Sora wants to know who the old lady hugging you is."

Tsukushi looked at Ryo, already feeling the anger waves coming off of Manda; in the five years she hadn't seen the girl, her friend hadn't changed.

"Old lady...?"

Tsukushi stifled a sigh and bent down to look Ryo and Sora in the eye.

"Sora did you really call my friend an old lady or did Ryo add that?"

Sora looked at her with big eyes then turned to her brother who was smiling nonchalantly.

"It was nii-chan."

Tsukushi turned to Ryo who was no longer smiling.

"Ryo, it's not nice to call people old; besides mama's older than she is."

Ryo pouted and in response Tsukushi picked the two up, Ryo grumbling a little. She turned to Manda who was still fuming, with an apologetic smile.

"Manda this is Ryo and this is Sora- they're twins."

Manda nodded, and then smiled. She moved towards them and then looked at Tsukushi, eyes asking permission to hold them. Tsukushi nodded and let Manda grab Ryo; when she tried to let Manda carry Sora, the little girl just held on tighter to her arm. She gave her an apologetic glance.

"Sora doesn't like strangers much."

Manda just kept smiling.

"It's okay; guys I'm a friend of your mom's and you all can call me Manda-neechan."

Ryo squirmed in the curly haired girl's grasp, a mischievous smile on his face.

"Okay, obaa-san."

Tsukushi stifled a giggle and extricated Ryo from her friend's grasp and set him down. To her amazement when she set Sora down the little girl toddled over to Manda and pulled on her jeans, holding her arms out. Manda smiled and picked her up, cooing.

Tsukushi smiled again and then bent down to look Ryo in the eye. Ryo however was looking at Sora, that protective glimmer in his eyes.

"Ryo how about we go over to daddy?"

Ryo looked at her confused and nodded, taking her hand but never taking his eyes away from Sora.

**9 years later**

Midori Kazehaya looked around the bus station, feeling nervous about what she was about to do. To other people she would look like a calm well bred girl, with her long curly hair that reached to her hips, and her pale skin. She was average height, short at five feet two inches with a slim build; she wore a calm expression while fixing the skirt of her school uniform. On the inside though, she was a wreck because she had finally figured out who her actual parents were.

Midori had known from a very young age that she'd been adopted; it wasn't told to her by her adoptive parents, it was just an observation she'd made. Her family was blonde with slight tans that had been cultivated from when they lived in Los Angeles. They weren't native Japanese either, though her adoptive father did have Japanese blood in him. They had emigrated to Japan, settling in Tokyo to be closer to her adoptive great-grandmother.

Despite their insistence that she wasn't adopted, in middle school she had found out that I was nearly impossible for two blondes to have a brunette child. And there were also their eyes; every 'family member' she had ever met had hazel, green or blue eyes- none of them had the same shade of brown eyes that she did. Finally they had admitted that she had been adopted, but they didn't know who her actual family was, considering she had been dropped off in a basket at a well to do orphanage if there ever was one; they had adopted her shortly thereafter.

Midori sighed. She had come to terms with the fact that she was adopted relatively quickly, but had longed to find her family. Then a week ago she had found them- or at least her mother. She walked down the street, looking at the slip of paper in her hand, remembering how it all started.

_"Okay, class; for your semester project, you all will do a report on a famous heir or heiress of Japan, since we have just finished the chapter on economics."_

_Midori stared_ _at the slip of paper she ad received from the teacher. Manda Shika/Domyouji. _

She had researched the woman, feeling sorry for her when she read how she had been kidnapped from her friend's wedding reception, and then her escapade from the skyscraper she had been kept in for five years. She had documented much of the woman's life, and was searching for pictures on Google when everything got complicated. She had to check she spelled the name right, because the woman looked exactly like her. Then she had remembered a critical fact; Manda had been pregnant when she was kidnapped, but didn't have a child when she had escaped from her kidnappers. Midori had printed out a picture, then compared it to her own. Same facial features, same skin tone. _Hell _they even had the same curly hair! What had caught her attention, we're the eyes; they were the exact same shade as hers.

She had tracked her down- she was in Tokyo, living in a mansion she bought herself when she was eighteen. She had gotten married to Tsukasa Domyouji shortly after she had returned to Japan. And that mansion was where Midori was headed to.

She walked down the street, passing a few seedy streets that made her wary. The neighborhood was two blocks away, she could already see the gate to the neighborhood.

"Hey sweetheart; why don't you come with us? A high school student like yourself shouldn't walk these streets unaccompanied- ya never know what might happen."

Midori turned around to find two guys leering at her hungrily, their gaze never moving from her body.

"No!"

She took off running but she had never been coordinated or fast; she tripped over herself, falling to the asphalt. The guys laughed and were about to lunge for her when a figure with dark auburn hair came out of nowhere, shielding her.

"You lechers; praying on girls like that! Go back to the hole you crawled out of!"

There were some thumps, but Manda couldn't focus on the men falling to the ground, only on the boy delivering the blows. He was tall, with a lithe figure which was apparent under the green blazer he wore. He had hair the color of dying embers, and a tan complexion; he was _beautiful_.

Midori was shaken from her reverie, when a pale hand appeared in front of her. She looked up from the ground to look at a beautiful girl with dark auburn curls and an angelic face. Wordlessly she took the girl's hand and stood up shakily.

"Nii-chan, you scared her!"

The girl was looking at the boy while saying this. He just laughed and ran a hand through his long hair.

"Aww Sora... You know how I get when I see girls getting picked on. I just couldn't leave her alone with those guys- we both know what lechers those guys are!"

The girl named Sora shook her head admonishingly then turned to Midori, a shy smile on her angelic face.

"I'm Sora; nice to meet you."

Midori smiled slightly and nodded, in awe.

"And I'm Ryo; we're twins."

Midori turned to look at the boy, who was smiling easily, his teeth a brilliant white.

"So what are you doing over here? I've never seen you before."

Midori lowered her eyes; she hadn't thought of that. She couldn't just announce she was Manda's missing daughter to whoever answered the door. She'd have the door slammed in her face before she even got to see the woman. Then a brilliant idea hit her and she didn't even have to lie.

"I'm doing a report on heiresses of Japan and I was hoping to interview ."

Ryo looked at her for a few seconds then sighed as though she'd given him work to do.

"She's not at her house right now- she's at her café from twelve to eight."

Midori could've smacked herself. She had read about Manda's café for god's sake!

"Umm... Do you know the address?"

Midori shook her head slowly.

"Sora, I guess we're going to have to make a visit to my _favorite_ person in the world."

Sora stepped forward just as Midori was about to protest.

"Ryo, I'll go with her if you want and you can go home..."

Midori looked at the delicate girl; if something like what had just happened, happened _again... _Apparently Ryo was thinking the same thing she was.

"Oh hell no. I've never left my baby sis to walk alone, I'm not gonna start now. Even if it does mean going over to the lair of my arch nemesis."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Review?**


	40. Call It Fate

**Yo minna! Here I am with my third (?) back to back update! Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie, b . aka-chan and LolipopRockaholic for their reviews- I luv you guys! Your reviews make me smile :D**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Manda was bustling around the café, when she saw the trio approaching, Ryo leading. She smiled wickedly as she prepared herself for his entrance. She put down the tray she was holding and moved over to the door, preparing to pounce on the boy. It had been this way ever since she had met the cheeky brat, he would do something to aggravate her and she'd retaliate. Last week he had gotten a hold of her blow dryer and put flour in it so when she went to do her hair... Well she had to go back into the shower and was late in opening the café. Now Ryo would pay; she had never seen the girl in back of Ryo, but he should have known better. After all, who took their date to their enemy's lair?

Manda waited by the door, suddenly getting a brilliant idea. She ran over to the drink station and grabbed a plastic cup, placing it on the ledge of the slightly open door. Then she sat down and waited for Ryo to open the door.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Ryo was on the alert. He absolutely hated going over to Manda's café considering that it was enemy territory. When he was there, the impossible had a tendency to occur. Like the week before last Manda had gotten a hold of him sleeping in a pair of pajamas that had teddy bears on them and put it in a picture frame on the counter.

Ryo reddened when he remembered a girl from his school laughing at it. It wasn't that he liked teddy bears, it was that they were a gift from Sora. That was the only reason, and only night, he wore them. In retaliation he put flour in Manda's blow dryer, and hadn't seen the woman since.

"Stupid old lady..."

Cautiously he approached the doors, expecting bombs to explode at any given moment. When nothing happened, he opened the door.

**SPLASH!**

Ryo winced when the cup fell on his head. He vaguely noticed the maniacal laughter in the background but was more focused on the fact that he was soaked. The cup of water had soaked right through his blazer _and_ dress shirt. What to do, what to do.

"Nii-chan, there are girls over in the corner whispering that you should take off your blazer and shirt out in the open."

Ryo smiled a bit at Sora, eyes going to the girls in question. They were whispering an giggling while throwing flirty glances at him. Well if they wanted him to take off his shirt... Well it wouldn't do if he got a cold. It was only that group of girls in the café anyways and they were all very pretty; who was he to deny them anyways? Then something occurred to him.

"Hey obaa-san! I'd get ready to work 'cos there's about to be an influx of customers."

Manda stopped laughing to look at him, and realized what he was going to do, paling.

Ryo laughed and slowly made his way over to the window, slowly stripping off his blazer, which he set down on a vacant booth. He turned his gaze to the girls, who were already slightly flushed and winked at them, hands on the hem of his shirt.

In a flash he stood up on the booth and whipped off his shirt, revealing his toned chest and six pack. He started digging through his gym bag for a towel, when he heard the trademark fan girl squeal from outside. Then the chaos began and Ryo smiled cheekily as he abandoned his search for a towel. After all a little water didn't hurt handsome men.

A crowd of girls rushed in, overwhelming Manda and her relatively small staff. Ryo smiled even wider, feeling accomplished.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui looked up from his book, reveling in the quiet that enveloped his book shop. That's when he heard a faint squealing sound coming from across the street. He looked out the main window of his shop and saw a mob huddled around Manda's window. When he moved closer he realized the crowd was watching a very familiar figure take off his shirt. Rui sighed in exasperation. Why had he ever let Sojirou and Akira take care of Ryo that one time last year? Granted neither practiced their playboy ways anymore, Sojirou because he was married and Akira because he was traumatized, but they felt the need to pass on all they had learned over the years; ever since then Ryo was somewhat of a playboy and definitely a flirt.

Rui looked up again to see his son moving his hips provocatively, and he shook his head tiredly. Suddenly Rui's memory went far back, to his failed attempt at stripping and he went red. He observed his son with something like confusion in his eyes, how the hell was Ryo, who was only fourteen, better at stripping than he was at twenty something? How the hell did he know how to strip in the first place?

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Midori watched in awe as she watched Manda bustle around the shop, taking care of several tables of squealing girls, without even breaking a sweat. She seemed to glide over the polished tile, several trays of drinks on her hands and arms. She smiled sweetly at each table, and laughed easily when a customer made a funny comment.

Midori felt herself tense when the curly haired woman made her way over to her, eyes closed and a smile on her face.

"Irrashai-"

Midori watched as the woman's eyes opened then went wide and the tray slipped from her hand, clattering on the floor, the sound of glass shattering a few moments later. Midori stared into her mother's eyes, trying to ease some of her confusion.

"Is... Your name Midori?"

Slowly she nodded. Manda took a step forward, hand outstretched like she wanted to touch her.

"If you don't mind my asking... Were you adopted by any chance?"

Again she nodded, this time taking a step forward.

"Do you know who your actual parents are?"

Her voice was soft, almost as though she were afraid of the answer.

"I know who my mother is- and she's standing right in front of me."

There was silence for a few seconds then Midori was pulled into a strong hug.

"My baby... My sweet baby... I thought I'd never see you again... I held you only once before you were taken from me... When I saw you just now... You look just like I did when I was your age... I thought maybe it was a dream..."

Slowly Midori raised her arms and wrapped them around her mother.

"It's okay.. Mom."

Her mother lifted her head from it's position in the crook of her neck and smiled up at her, tears in her eyes.

"You have no idea how good that sounds."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Manda was on top of the world. Finally after fourteen years she had her baby back in her arms; something important occurred to her.

"What do your adoptive parents think?"

Midori smiled sadly.

"They said that whatever my decision, they'll always love me."

Midori looked at her, love blatant in her eyes.

"Mom... I want to... Live with you.. I've always known I was adopted... And I've always wanted to know you... And my father if you guys are you know.. Together."

Manda felt tears come to her eyes and crushed her daughter to her.

"Of course you can live with us! Me and your dad will go with you to pick up your things and then you can move in and... You can't believe how happy I am that you found me... My baby..."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Another chappie done, and amazingly Gertrude hasn't wandered off yet. Review?**


	41. Call It Another Thread In The Tapestry

**Gomen minna~ I am uber sorry that I took forever to update! It's cos we're getting really close to opening night with the play I'm crewing for and honestly, Gertrude went MIA when I started this chappie T.T  
Anyway... Thanks go out as usual to my reviewers! I lub you all! Now without further ado... Call It Fate. **

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Ryo watched in absolute shock as Midori got into Manda's vintage Volkswagen. How in the hell hadn't he seen the resemblance between the two? When they stood next to each other they looked like twins, for god's sake! He felt like such an idiot.

As he watched the car drive away, he felt his pocket vibrating. He sighed and fished out his slim phone from his uniform pants.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, sorry Ryo I dialed your number by accident! I meant to call Sor- Um... Yea I meant to um... Call.. Uh..."

Ryo frowned at the phone. It was his friend Minami, Sojirou's kid- usually they were joined at the hip, and got along great- except where his sister was concerned.

"When did you get Sora's number?"

"Uhmmm..."

Ryo frowned again; his friend was usually extremely smooth- he had an advantage where his gene pool was concerned. But when it came to trying to hide things from him, Minami was extremely unsmooth.

"Never mind; anyway have you heard the news yet?"

There was a moment of silence.

"No, what news?"

"Well Junior is going to get a surprise in about twenty minutes."

Again silence, this time filled with faint slurping noises. Ryo curled his lip in disgust. _That _was the reason he didn't want his friend getting near his sister. It didn't surprise Ryo that Minami had one of his girlfriends over, but it pissed him off to no end that he had the gall to call his sister while the girl was over.

"What did you say? I missed that last part about Junior"

Ryo growled under his breath.

"Drop off your girlfriend and haul ass to Junior's place; I have a feeling that something _interesting _is going to happen."

"Okay... What happened anyway?"

Ryo thought about the girl that looked so much like his enemy, and felt his heart quicken a little bit. He shook his head slightly- he had other things to think about.

"You know his long lost sister? Well she was just found."

Again silence.

"Okay, I'll be over there in a bit. See ya."

"Minami, one last thing."

"What?"

"Stay away from my sister."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Midori felt her jaw drop when her mom's car stopped in front of a palatial mansion.

"M-m-mom...?"

Her mother turned to her, an exultant smile on her face. She reached out and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Welcome home Midori."

Midori felt tears come to her eyes, but held them back. She had already cried once, she would not allow herself to cry again; it just wasn't in her nature.

"Let's go inside so you can meet your father and brother."

"Brother?"

Her mom nodded.

"Yes, Tsukasa Tsubasa Jr. He was named after your dad and my dad; he's two years your junior but he's really mature for his age. He's a first year in middle school."

Midori nodded, slightly nervous; her adoptive siblings were all older than she was. As though sensing her anxiety, her mom reached for her hand and intertwined it with her own warm one. Slowly they made their way up the small set of stairs, and towards the huge double doors. Her mom fished out her keys and opened the doors, pushing them open to reveal a grand foyer with a set of huge stairs at the far end of the room.

Letting go of her mom's hand, she looked around the grand room. The floor was cream colored marble with oriental rugs dotting the room. The ceilings were high and a huge chandelier dominated the greater part of it.

"I'll go get the boys Midori; you wait here."

Midori could only nod.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukasa looked up from the paperwork he was filling out, to see his wife open the door a huge smile on her face. She ran over to him, and pulled him into an expected kiss.

"She's back... Our baby... She walked into the café today... Tsukasa..."

Tsukasa felt his eyes go wide. His baby was back? The little girl he had dreamt of since Manda first got pregnant, was here? In his house?

"Does Junior know?"

Manda shook her head and Tsukasa took her hand. They made their way out the door and down the hallway to Junior's room, when they got close the only thing they could hear was booming bass.

He had told his son time and again that he did not like it when everyone and their mother could hear what he was listening to. Tsukasa scowled slightly, not wanting this small fact to overshadow his joy; for the first time ever he'd know his first born. Tsukasa felt Manda squeeze his hand, cautioning him silently not to do anything too rash. He knocked on the door, and after receiving no response just opened the door.

"Oy Junior-"

His eyes widened when he took in the sight in front of him. There was a small busty girl straddling his son, in the process of pulling off her shirt and Junior already was shirtless and had his fly down. The girl pulled her shirt back down, flushing beet red. She shot Junior a glance and then fled the room, picking up her shoes and bag.

Tsukasa felt rage flood his veins, and a harsh squeeze of his hand told him that Manda was already way ahead of him.

"What the hell Junior!"

Tsukasa moved to the wall, letting Manda have the floor. If he wasn't so mad at his son he would feel bad for him- when Manda got pissed, all hell broke loose.

"You're only a first year in middle school! And who the hell was that floozy? What if you had gone all the way with her and she ended up pregnant? We spoil you, or rather your _father_ spoils you but that doesn't mean that we would want to have a grandchild! What the hell were you thinking?"

Tsukasa stared at his son, who looked very much like he did when he was his age; tall and lanky with dark eyes that always seemed to be narrowed.

The only difference was in this case, he'd raised his son slightly different. He had raised him to be polite and though he did spoil him, his son didn't go to Eitoku, but rather to the same school as Rui's kid. Apparently even though he had denied his son the luxuries that had seemed commonplace when he was a kid, he still spoiled him too much. All that would change; he wanted his son to turn out a good person.

"You're mother is right- I do spoil you too much. As of now you're grounded for the remainder of the semester. You can keep your cell phone but I'll have the cell phone company restrict who you can call and text. Other than that no electronics and I'm going to pick you up every day from school so you don't go wandering off like you usually do."

Junior watched him, with disbelief on his face.

"B-but I was just doing what Sojirou said he did when he was my age!"

Tsukasa put his face in his hand. He should have known Sojirou was involved with this- however remotely.

"Sojirou is a different story...Besides that, just because Sojirou did it, doesn't mean you have to do it as well!"

Manda jumped in next.

"If Sojirou had jumped off of a bridge would you have done tha- Oh god! I sound like my mother."

Tsukasa grabbed her hand, trying to comfort her. Junior looked at him imploringly, a pout forming on his lips. When he got no response, he turned to his mother, forgetting that a Sasquatch would have more pity for him than Manda would. She gave him a stern look and his tough guy façade disappeared, instead revealing a teary eyed twelve year old. Tsukasa sighed, and then sat down next to Junior, draping the discarded flannel shirt around Junior's slim shoulders.

"Stop crying; we actually came to give you good news."

He got a teary sniffle as a response.

"You know how you always wanted a sibling?"

He nodded.

"And you know that you have an older sister right?"

Another nod.

"She's down in the foyer."

His eyes widened in disbelief, the tears disappearing immediately.

"Onee-chan is home?"

This time it was his turn to nod. Junior pulled on his shirt, buttoning all the buttons wrong and ran out the door. Tsukasa chuckled and got up, grabbing Manda's hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

"Let's go down so I can meet our daughter."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Junior ran down the hallway, and into the foyer. His eyes widened with astonishment when he saw a mini version of his mom.

"Onee-chan!"

He bolted down the steps and rushed at the girl who had stood up from her perch on the ornate couch. He tackled her and both of them flew backwards onto the floor.

"I'm Junior, your baby brother. What's your name?"

The girl under him just looked at him in shock. Almost like she was scared.

"M-Midori.."

Then it hit him- she was scared of _him._ Smiling sheepishly he got up and held out a hand.

"Sorry bout that; I've been hearing about you since I was five."

He chuckled, slightly worried now. What if he had freaked her out and she didn't like him? What if she didn't want to hang out with him all because he was a dork? She grabbed his hand and he pulled up, setting her straight when she wobbled slightly. She looked at him levelly, an expression he had seen all too many times with his mother. His mom could be described as... Eccentric. He had seen so many expressions, but when things go serious she neither got panicked or distressed. Junior stepped back a bit, examining her. Midori could pass as their mother's twin.

When they both heard steps on the stairs, they turned to see their parents holding hands and descending the staircase, and smiling like he hadn't seen them smile before. He turned to his sister and hugged her close.

"Welcome home onee-chan."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"Sarina-sama, there's a call for you."

Sarina took the cigarette out of her mouth, exhaling a puff of smoke. She held out her hand and the servant gave her the piece of plastic.

"It better be good."

She took another drag from her cigarette an leaned back into her plush chair.

"Hello, Mizuki-kun. I have interesting news for you."

She exhaled, eyes examining her dark office lazily. It was already night in the grand playground that was New York.

"Oh?"

There was silence on the line.

"Turn on your television; Turn it to any major news network."

Sarina sighed and made a motion with her hand; the television turned on a few seconds later.

"...is CNN Breaking News. In a shocking revelation the eldest heir to the Domyouji Corporation has returned to her family, after nine years of residing with a family that adopted her. The daughter Domyouji Midori was kidnapped right after birth when her mother was in captivity herself. Now fourteen years later, the Domyouji family has a happy ending."

Sarina felt her cigarette drop from her hand.

"I'm listening Tsukune."

"Good, then I have a little job for you..."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"Mom can I ask you something?"

Manda smiled at her daughter who was strewn across the king size bed in the guestroom. They had called her adoptive parents, who told her that they would nullify the adoption; they felt guilty that they had unknowingly kept Midori from them.

"Sure sweetheart."

She sat down on the bed, laying next to her child.

"Junior is two years younger than me, right?"

Manda nodded, unsure of where she was going with this.

"But they kept you in New York for five right?"

Manda felt her heart drop slightly.

"Yes."

"So then... Is my dad... Junior's dad?"

Manda nodded, her mind travelling back to that memory.

_Flashback_

_Sarina walked towards Manda, holding a pair of blue baby boots; she threw them to her, triggering a painful memories from three years prior. _

_"What is this?"_

_Sarina smiled widely. _

_"A baby shower gift."_

_Manda looked at her ,confused._

_"I'm not pregnant."_

_"Not yet."_

_Then in a flash hands were grabbing her and picking her up to a cool metal surface. _

_"No... Please don't do this to me!"_

_Faces leered at her as they strapped her down to that operating table. _

_"Don't worry Manda; none of these men want a child, so we procured some from your dear Tsukasa."_

_Manda screamed, not wanting to think of how they might've procured Tsukasa's seed. Had he gotten tired of her? Had he gone astray? Tears fell down her cheeks, all the fight going out of her. Then someone stabbed her with a needle and the world went blissfully black._

_End Flashback_

A tear fell down Manda's cheek.

"Maybe I'll tell you someday... When you're older."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Yay! Another chappie done! For now, sayonara minna~ Till next chappie :)**


	42. Call It A Spark

**Yo minna so here's another installation to this ongoing series! Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie, b . aka-chan, and LollipopRockaholic for their reviews! I present chapter forty-something of Call It Fate!**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui smiled as he drank his cup of coffee; Tsukushi was sitting at a table, grading papers like all hell would break loose if she didn't finish. Rui looked down at his own stack of graded papers, and picked up his pen.

"Tsu-ku-shi~."

He sat down next to her, resisting the urge to wrap his arm around her; he had already gotten in trouble once for not being 'professional' in the workplace. She looked up at him, a smile on her face.

"Do you want some help with those? You only have ten minutes till homeroom- I have off first period, so I can grade these and then bring them to you."

Tsukushi looked steadily at him then to the papers.

"Okay, these are worth two questions apiece; if they don't have the answers in paragraph form then mark it wrong."

Rui nodded, and watched her walking away. She had on her usual attire; a dress shirt and dress pants. Her hair was up in a ponytail, with her bangs sweeping across her face. He was in a white long sleeve and black slacks. He smiled when she closed the door and read through the first couple of questions on the paper she was grading before. He smirked when he noticed the questions were on Romeo and Juliet. He let his mind wander a little, going back to the time when he and Tsukushi had been like the pair of lovers. Granted they didn't die for their love but they had come pretty close to it.

Rui set down his pen, and looked out the window directly across from him; the sky was a clear canvas, save for some threads of cloud.

"Beautiful isn't it?"

Rui snapped out of his reverie and turned around, finding himself face to face with a tall woman; she had blonde hair that fell past her shoulders and was curvy with green eyes. She was wearing a suit similar to Tsukushi's except her skirt was much too short and her shirt unbuttoned to far down. Rui turned; blondes never were his type anyway.

"Are you Hanazawa-sensei?"

He went back to checking papers after nodding.

"Ano... I'm Mikuru Yui- you're new assistant teacher."

Rui looked up from the papers and turned to her, an indifferent expression on his face. He never recalled even _requesting_ an assistant teacher.

"I don't recall requesting help for my class- I suggest you talk to the principal about rearranging that."

He looked back down at the papers, grading them and absentmindedly planning what he was going to do for his third years. They had already gone through much of the English literature he had intended for them to read- the only ones missing were Medea and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The only trouble was that it wouldn't take them more than a month and a half to finish both- that left them with two weeks left in the semester.

Rui frowned at one of the responses, wondering how Tsukushi could teach first years. He seldom gave his class an easy assignment, but usually they got the job done very well anyway. He marked the question wrong and was about to move on to the next question when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, expecting to see a student or something but saw the new teacher.

"Yes?"

"I couldn't help but notice something..."

Rui looked at her quizzically; her voice was soft and somewhat suggestive. He shrugged off the hand and went back to grading papers. It wouldn't be the first time a co-worker tried to get into his pants.

"You're sexy when you're working..."

She tried to move in so she could nip at his neck, but Rui was too fast for her. He got up, papers in hand and was walking out the door when she spoke again.

"Hanazawa-sensei?"

Rui sighed and turned around.

"Where are you going?"

He rolled his eyes when he saw the buttons on her blouse were unbuttoned further. He raised the papers he'd been grading.

"I have to go drop these off to my wife's classroom."

He turned on his heel and left he almost could've sworn he heard something shatter in the teacher's lounge.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Minami was running like crazy; several thugs were chasing after him. Apparently he had taken out their leader's girlfriend the other night and now he was going to pay for it. He turned the corner weaving in and out of the crowd that was on the sidewalk. He looked over his shoulder, and let out a breath of relief when he saw he had lost them. Never before had Minami felt so grateful to a random throng of passerby.

"Hold it little man,"

Minami struggled as he was grabbed from behind and hoisted onto one of the burly guys shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

"Oy lemme go!"

He pounded on the guy's shoulder and received a blow to his stomach, leaving him breathless.

"Don't worry pretty boy; our boss just wants to speak ta ya- with his fists!"

The goons burst out in laughter while Minami paled. He sucked at fighting; he had never really had an interest in any of it. It was times like this that he wished he would have at least learned something.

"Let him go!"

Minami looked over his shoulder and paled eve more; Midori, Jr.'s sister, was standing in front of the goons with her arms spread wide in front of her.

"Move or you'll be having a little conversation with us next!"

She didn't budge.

"Hey man, she's pretty- why don't we take her and drop off the brat and we can have some 'fun'..!"

Minami struggled as they leered at Midori. They continued laughing and he received another blow. He coughed, struggling to get air.

"Let him go."

"Persistent ain't she?"

They charged at her and Minami watched in horror as she disappeared among the throng of guys.

"Midori!"

One of the guys wen flying and Minami watched, now in awe as Midori executed a roundhouse kick and sent two of the guys (who easily weighed three times what she did) flying. The other guys charged at her again, yelling obscenities at her. She dodged them easily and then kicked them down. Minami, wasn't shocked to feel the guy holding him up shaking; if he was in the same position he'd probably be running for his life.

"I'll tell you one more time- let him go."

Minami wasn't surprised when he was dropped unceremoniously to the ground. He looked up at Midori who was wearing the same uniform that Sora normally wore; she held out her hand for him so he could get up. He grabbed it, careful not to tug on her arm too much.

"Thank you for helping me."

He got a breathtaking smile in return.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure Nishikado-san."

Minami died a little when he heard his formal name girls never used his last name- much less added '-san' to it.

"Didn't Ryo save you from two thugs when you first came here?"

She nodded, a confused expression on her face.

"Then... How did you fight these guys off?"

Midori snickered and then smiled even more exuberantly.

"I've been sparring with my dad for the last week; I beat him on the third day."

Minami might've kissed her if not for the fact he'd probably become infertile when she retaliated.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Ryo was walking in silence with Sora to school when he heard a very familiar scream. Sure enough, across the street Minami was getting chased down by six thugs. Ryo sighed, running a hand through his auburn hair. He shrugged off his bag and put it on the cement.

"Sora wait for me in Manda's cafe; it's two doors down from here."

"Un."

Ryo was about to bolt across the street to aid his fleeing friend when a dark haired blur beat him to the punch- literally. The figure flitted around, knocking out the thugs. Finally only one remained- the one with Minami over his shoulder. Ryo watched in amazement as Minami was dropped to the cement; that's when he noticed who the girl was. Domyouji Midori, daughter of his arch nemesis and also savior of his friend. He was about to go to her, when he stopped himself.

Midori held out a hand to the fallen Minami, who took it. She smiled widely and Ryo couldn't help bow his head when he felt his face heat up. He looked back up and winced; his heart was beating so fast... That's when he noticed something; something that drew a soft growl of protectiveness from his throat. Minami had that gleam in his eyes that he got whenever he had a challenge before him. It was the same gleam that was directed towards Sora- only now it was directed towards Midori.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Review?**


	43. Call It Jealousy Unrealized

**Yo minna! Sorry for the long wait in between updates! It's been hectic what with tennis starting and 'The Sound of Music' ending. Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie, b . aka-chan, and LollipopRockaholic for their reviews. Like most writers, I truly appreciate all reviews and honestly that's what keeps me going and helps me write every chapter. On that note, to the story!**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

".. You idiot! Of course I don't want to go out with him! Get rid of him or you'll have my father to answer to!"

Ayako Mimisaka hung up the phone twirling the lollipop in her mouth. She crossed her legs, not bothering with the fact that her skirt had ridden up; if guys wanted to gawk, let them- it's not like she would go out with them. She smiled deviously; no, no other man would have the pleasure of possessing her except her beloved Ryo-sama.

She looked at her watch, and then at the door of the nearly empty classroom; she always waited for Ryo in his classroom. He got there early, escorting his sister so there wouldn't be another situation like the one three years prior...

Ayako sighed and tapped her foot against the linoleum. Where was Ryo? Just as she was about to put her head down, the door creaked open revealing Ryo's lithe form, laughing.

"Ryo-"

Ayako stood up to go hug him, but stopped in mid-step when she saw a slightly taller figure next to Sora. Then she noticed Ryo wasn't addressing Sora, but the small girl with curls all the way down her back; Ayako suppressed the urge to snarl at the newcomer. Instead, she smoothed her hair down and flipped it over her shoulder; only then did she make her way over to the trio.

"Hi Ryo-kun! Sora-chan I like the charm on your bracelet, where'd you get it?"

She smiled widely, fixing her gaze onto the short girl whom looked vaguely familiar. Ayako searched through her memory, sorting through all the memories she had without Ryo. Her eyes widened when she realized why the girl looked familiar.

"Ano, Domyouji-sama why are you here at our school- in a uniform?"

The girl looked at her confusedly; Ayako went through scenarios in her head. She knew that Ryo and Manda were always at each other's throat. What plausible explanation could there be for her presence?

"Ano... Could you be mistaking me for my mom?"

Ayako snapped out of her reverie; 'mom?'... Ayako scrutinized the girl for a moment- mom?

"Sorry for not introducing myself; Hajimemashite, I'm Domyouji Midori. I was adopted by another couple pretty much since I was born, and it wasn't until recently that I found my parents."

Ayako was in shock; this girl... This shy looking girl was the daughter of the loudmouth couple.

Furthermore, she was the daughter of Ryo's enemy so what the hell was he doing laughing with her? Even though she felt like yelling and cursing at the girl she hardly knew, Ayako forced herself to stay composed. Instead of throwing a tantrum, she held out her hand with a genial smile.

"Nice to meet you, Midori-chan; I'm Mimisaka Ayako. I hope we get to be _very_ good friends."

After all, she lived by one motto: Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Ryo watched Midori out of the corner of his eye, trying to calm his heartbeat. For their first class they had English Literature- the class his mom taught. Apparently Manda asked her to pull some strings, because Midori had all of her classes with him and Sora; at the moment he was talking to Ayako halfheartedly. The girl was pretty, but wasn't his type. He wasn't sure what his type was, but he just knew that it wasn't the spoiled girl. Midori was up in front of the class, talking to his mom with a smile.

"... So what do you think Ryo-kun?"

Ryo refocused on Ayako.

"I'm sorry I missed the last part of that."

He smiled quizzically, waiting for the girl to go over what he missed.

"I said that I was planning a picnic and was wondering if you and Sora would like to go."

Ryo nodded and then turned to Sora.

"What do you think about it sis?"

Sora stayed silent for a moment, then turned to look at Ayako. Ryo couldn't quite understand his sister's expression; it was almost suspicious.

"Who else is going?"

Ayako wore what could only be called a poker face.

"Minami, Jr. and I plan to ask Midori-chan. I'm planning it for Saturday."

Ryo looked at his sister, for once hoping she wouldn't want to go. If Minami was going... Then he'd have to fight off his advances for both of them... and besides that Midori was sure to accept... For some reason he had the compulsion to protect her. It wasn't like the protectiveness he felt for his sister, but that was the closest thing to it. Whatever happened he had to protect them.

"We have plans for that day- our family is going strawberry picking."

Ryo felt his heart sink. He had completely forgotten about that- now he had a choice to make, his family or Midori. Just as he felt his heart sink even lower did he realize that something was going on in the front of the class and that his mother was speaking.

"...please get along. Midori, sit next to Minami. Since the school doesn't have your books yet, you can share with Minami to follow along on the story we're going to cover today."

Ryo stared at his mother then at the empty seat next to him. His gaze moved over to the other empty seat across the room, the one next to Minami. The seat usually reserved for his girlfriend of the week if she had class with him. As he watched Midori sit down and greet his playboy friend, he couldn't help but cringe. Seeing her sitting next to the boy made him uneasy; what bothered him more was that he didn't know whether his unease was for the girl's own well being or because he wished he could be in Minami's seat.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Sorry, I know it's kind of short. Next chappie will be longer- hopefully. -dramatic swelling of music- Review?**


	44. Call It A Flashback I: Reunited Tragedy

**Yo minna! Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie and LollipopRockaholic for their reviews! Okay, now some background info pertinent to the story: the next three chapters will mostly be flashbacks, so instead of typing everything in **_Italics_** I'm going to type it normally with the moments in the present written in **_Italics_**. Also I tied Gertrude down to a chair and got the next nine chapters planned so hehehe-updates should be coming out quicker than usual. **

**Why am I going to focus on flashbacks only for a couple of chappies you may ask. The reason is because there are some things that need to be explained before the story can really move on! Okay enough of me talking! On with the chappie!**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Time: Right after Manda's escape (New York)

Tsukasa smiled widely as he held Manda's hand. She was fighting with Ryo, tickling him into submission. It had been too long since he'd heard that laugh, the laugh that never failed to make him smile. He looked around his neon surroundings, wondering how he had never thought to look here in New York. He had sent search party everywhere else, but not in the city of chrome and lights. He gripped Manda's hand tighter; he had gotten cocky. No, _arrogant__**. **_He frequented the city so often that he didn't think anyone would have the balls to hide the love of his life in such close proximity. Again, arrogance had been his downfall- the price, losing five precious years and a daughter.

Tears welled up in his eyes; he had had his suspicions that his mother had orchestrated Manda's kidnapping. Never did he once think that she would stoop so low as to give her granddaughter up for adoption.  
Suddenly he felt a soft hand stroke his cheek, wiping away the tear that had fallen. On impulse he pulled her into a tight hug.

"It's okay Tsukasa- some day, we'll find our daughter. And..."

She grabbed his hand, while making a motion to Tsukushi, and dragged Tsukasa away from the general group.

"Tsukasa, while I was in..there... They got me pregnant a second time- they told me that it was your s-sperm...we had a s-s-son..."

Tsukasa watched as tears welled up in Manda's eyes. Then he caught it- the look of betrayal.

"Manda, it was my sperm. A couple of years ago, the health official took samples of my sperm; I tried to ask why, but I never got a straight answer."

He pulled her close, letting her cry on his shoulder.

"Y-y-you d-didn't c-c-cheat on m-me?"

"I could never cheat on you."

He lifted Manda's chin up.

"I don't see them any more, the girls who chase after me. I only see you."

With that he pressed his lips softly to hers, relishing in the moment. They would find their son and daughter. They would get answers out of his mother. And they would most definitely find Sarina, and send her to jail where she belonged. For now, this moment, this single moment was all that mattered.

**(****Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Time: A year after the 'rape' incident with Akira

"Akira-sama, there is a visitor who requests to see you."

Akira looked up from his laptop and nodded at the guard. The guard bowed and exited the room, to presumably call the person inside. He hoped for their sake that it was important; he had a meeting with the head of the Kurosaki house. The two houses had never been on particularly good terms but under his regime, Akira didn't want all the violence that had become commonplace in many of the mobster's lives.

"Hello, Akira-kun."

Akira looked up from his laptop, eyes wide with shock.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Edra stood in the doorway, clad in a tailored black pinstripe suite. She smiled provocatively at him, daring him to take a step forward.

"You don't answer my calls, nor do you return my letters."

Akira stared at the woman in disbelief. After what he'd gone through...

"After what you did...? I can't believe you. Get out, I don't want anything to do with you."

Edra showed no sign of moving. Instead tears welled in her eyes.

"Akira... I love you; you know that don't you?"

Akira scoffed; this woman didn't know what love was. Undoubtedly she had never known what it was to want someone, knowing it could never happen.

"You don't know what love is. Love is when you'd do anything to make the other happy- love is when you'd sacrifice your own feelings for the sake of the other. You've never had to do that. I'll tell you one last time, leave!"

Akira lowered his gaze back onto the computer screen, thoughts drifting to Manda... So cute, innocent in her own rite. Tears threatened to spill over when he remembered that even before she was kidnapped, she could never have belonged to him. It killed him to know that while Manda was being kidnapped he had been thinking only of Saranghae.

"Akira..."

He looked up, only to find Edra's face centimeters away from his own. Slowly, she moved closer until finally their lips were pressed to the others. It was only a moment before Edra pulled away, tears in her eyes.

"I can't take Manda's place- but... Can't I at least try to fight for who I love?"

Akira looked at her, awe taking place of the anger and resentment he had felt a few minutes ago.

"You can try; I don't guarantee that I'll ever fall for you."

Edra gave a small smile.

"If I wanted guarantees I wouldn't be chasing after you, would I?"

**Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Time: The day Kaede died.

Sarina's mind was in tangles; how could Kaede be dead? She had been fine the day before! Sarina stared out the window, watching police try to regain control of the situation below. She only had a few minutes before they swarmed the building. Sarina took a few calming breaths; nothing good would come if she was frantic. She would make mistakes; she would be caught.

She gathered up her things and made her way down the hallway and then, down the stairs. Furtively she took in the crowd which was still somewhat out of control. She smirked as she walked down the street without so much as being glanced at by an officer; Manda would be furious if she knew her little 'stunt' was what ensured Sarina's escape. Sarina pulled out her phone staring at the message; it wasn't a surprise when a few tears began to cloud her vision. Kaede had been more of a mother figure than Kanna had ever been. Sarina felt something strange bubbling in her throat, something that was making it hard to breath; it was warm and at the same time tears started blurring her vision. Sarina stopped in her tracks, a choked whimper breaking through the blockage in her throat; this was the first time she had truly been alone in years. Before Kaede, was Kanna, and then Saranghae.

Sarina felt more tears begin to fall. Her sister... He had shunned her sister for Kanna and had given it no second thought. Now she had lost Kaede..and she had absolutely no hope of ever reconciling with her.

"Excuse me."

Sarina looked up to see a man with long black hair, riddled with red highlights. He had pale skin and hypnotizing blue eyes; blue eyes almost the exact same shade of her sister's...

"Mizuki Sarina, I have a proposition for you."

Sarina stared at the man, who in her opinion looked more like a teenage boy on his way to school, observing his dark dress pants and a neatly pressed blue striped dress shirt. Sarina lifted her hand and wiped away the tears from her cheek.

"Your name?"

The man/boy laughed, a pleasant jovial laugh.

"Ah, sorry; how rude of me. I'm Arai Tsukune..."

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_Time: Present _

_"Hey did you hear about Rui and that assistant teacher?"_

_"Yea- she was all over him; what a whore!"_

_"Feel bad for the wife- clueless as ever."_

_"Well I'd be clueless too if my husband was as sexy as he is."_

_Yui kept on walking, ignoring all the bullshit she was hearing; none of these __**little girls **__were worth her time. Rui was her main priority. Yui made her way down the hall, primping her hair a bit. Though he didn't remember her, Yui had once been his fiancée. And then his idiot of a father asked her to cook. When she had served up her charred curry, Rui said nothing- out of common courtesy she supposed. His father... Oh he had a raving fit and called off the engagement right then and there. A week or two later Rui was engaged again, this time to the daughter of the Shika corporation; that little tomboy girl had absolutely no class. The entire time the chibi had been engaged to Rui, she made it painfully obvious she was displeased with the match. According to the Eitoku gossip line, she was in love with Tsukasa. Yui held in a bitter laugh. _

_Now here she was god only knew how many years later, surrounded by happily ever afters. However one of those happily ever afters would come to it's conclusion. Yui smiled evilly; and everything was going according to plan._

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Dun, dun, dun; Review?**


	45. Call It A Flashback II: 1st Love

**Yo minna! Thanks go out to LollipopRockaholic, b . aka-chan and Saranghae for their lovely reviews :) Okay I don't think I have any notes for this chappie (god it's already chapter 45? -Gertrude tries to run away but is persuaded to stay with promises of long reviews-) So... Here's the next installment of this fic ;)**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Time: In Ryo and Sora's last year of junior high

Ryo was blissfully asleep, the cool surface of his desk pressed up against his right cheek, when something hit him in the back of the head. Immediately he woke up, hand already rubbing at the sore spot on his head.

"Hanazawa-san, please do try your best to stay awake."

Ryo nodded, somewhat bemused; it was his last class of the day and after this he had club activities. He dropped his hand, and looked at his textbook thoughtfully. He did have one thing to do before he could go to club activities; several girls had left notes in his shoe box, asking him to go to various locations around the school. He sighed, conflicted. While it was pleasant to be well liked by just about everyone, it was taxing when it meant that girls always were confessing to him. He smirked; it was probably his own fault for participating in his school's host club as well...he could blame Minami for that, considering that his best friend had pestered him into being one of the founding members.

Ryo turned to Sora, who was sitting next to him, and smiled when he saw she was taking notes; he'd ask her for them later. He observed her, noting the little crease between her eyebrows as she concentrated on what their teacher was saying. Ryo heaved a sigh; Sora was popular in her own right- not that he was happy about it. While he averaged about sixteen love letters per week, she averaged about twenty. He had to admit that his sister was beautiful, almost the exact replica of his mother, but with hair the same shade of auburn that their dad had passed onto them both; but even though she had no shortage of admirers, she had yet to take one as her boyfriend. Ryo absentmindedly, scribbled on the edge of his unfinished notes; he had decided some time ago that he would cross that bridge when he got there.

"Nii-chan?"

He looked up to see Sora staring at him, bag over her shoulder. Ryo nodded and picked up his stuff.

"I have to meet a girl by the gym; I'll do that before I go to club activities. Are you fine going home by yourself? Or are you going to wait for me at the club."

Sora shifted a bit, holding her weight on her left foot.

"I'll be fine; I have to meet a guy before I go home though."

She smiled serenely at him, the smile not quite reaching her eyes. Ryo knew that his sister didn't like rejecting all the guys that she did but if she didn't they tended to confront her in public, and everything just turned into a mess.

"Do you need me to go with you?"

He saw her smile falter a bit; for some reason, lately, she hadn't been wanting his help as much as she usually did. Ryo lowered his head a bit, letting his hair cover his eyes; it stung, not being needed anymore.

"Never mind... I'll see you at home."

He grabbed his bag and exited the room, leaving behind his twin.

"Ah, Hanazawa-kun!"

Ryo looked at the girl, vaguely remembering her from club... Sayako? Yano?... He gave up trying to remember her name and instead pulled out the letter, gesturing to it while sneaking a glimpse at it; Haninozuka Aoi. Ryo held back a grimace. He didn't care what this girl had to say; he had no intention to get a girlfriend- besides he was frustrated by the situation with Sora. Always, they had been together and now they were drifting apart.

Aoi fidgeted, a blush on her pale cheeks. She wasn't bad looking, with long dark hair and light blue eyes- she had too much make-up on though.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

She looked up at him from under her eyelashes, her blush becoming even more distinct.

"Towards you... Hanazawa-kun... I like you."

Her gaze dropped down so that it was towards the grass. He didn't even hesitate in his response- he couldn't keep up his cool façade for much longer, not when he was this frustrated. Maybe he'd skip club...

"Gomen Haninozuka-san- I'm not allowed to date."

Bullshit, he knew that line was full of bullshit but he couldn't help himself. It got the job done and he wasn't hated. Aoi looked up at him, eyes teary- he knew his own were stony and empty of any emotion. She ran off, picking her bag up with her. Ryo ran a hand through his hair, messing it up a bit. He was cruel to that girl- he had to make sure to apologize to her somehow; when he was less irritated though. Ryo was about to tuck the letter into his pocket when a shrill scream cut through the air; Sora! He dropped his bag, running to where he heard the scream and caught sight of Sora being carried by two guys in the uniform of the neighboring junior high. Her brown eyes were wide with fear and filled with tears of desperation. Ryo charged at the guys.

"Let my sister go!"

The guys stopped, acknowledging his charging form. He didn't care that they were probably three times his size- they had his sister. He pulled back his arm, ready to punch the bastard when it was pulled back.

"Nu-uh _nii-chan_; we've had enough of that tease you call a sister."

Then he was surrounded, and blows began to rain down on him; it wasn't long before he was on the floor, futilely trying to get up.

"HEY!"

The guys wailing on him turned and then faster than Ryo could comprehend the group of guys were falling to the floor. From his spot on the ground Ryo saw a tall guy with long dark hair beating the crap out of Sora's potential kidnappers. Soon it was only him, Sora, the guys holding Sora and the guy with dark hair.

"Let her go."

Ryo struggled to get up off the ground; he wasn't even sure if anyone heard him but he would get that punk away from his sister.

"Let my sister go."

He got on his feet, swaying slightly and ignoring the fact that he probably had some broken ribs and a broken wrist. He moved forward, lifting his arm to fight off the guy; then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Let me take care of this; trying to save your sister in your condition will just make it worse."

Ryo bristled and just shrugged the hand off; he didn't need a complete stranger telling him what he already knew.

"Stubborn."

Ryo watched as the stranger tackled the guy holding Sora and easily caught Sora before she (or her captor) hit the ground. It was with utter disbelief that Ryo watched the guy set his sister down gently.

-(_Earlier; Sora's POV _)-

Sora walked towards the flower garden, reluctant to go hear another boy confess to her. It wore on a person, rejecting suitor after suitor but she didn't like anyone. She slowed down a bit as another thought made it's way through her mind. She didn't like troubling Ryo either. Sora felt a tingling sensation in her eyes, betraying her calm exterior; she was always depending on him, never really doing anything on her own. She would change that- she would be more independent. She knew she was the reason he didn't have a girlfriend- she wanted him to be happy.

_Flashback (Earlier that week)_

_Sora was walking down the hall, on her way to gym. She fiddled with her ponytail absentmindedly. The day had been uneventful- boring. Maybe she would ask Ryo if he would be willing to ditch club and go see a movie... There was that new one about zombies. Sora smiled; Ryo would probably go with her. _

_"... it disgusts me; have you seen the way she clings to him?"_

_"I know- I mean yea they're twins, but that doesn't mean she has to do everything with him."_

_Sora stopped in her tracks, eyes going wide. Were they talking about her and Ryo? She heard footsteps coming in her direction and hid in a small alcove. She didn't care that she was eavesdropping, she needed to hear the rest. _

_"..She's just a burden- always saying 'nii-chan'... What is she? Five?"_

_Sora felt a tear snake its way out down her cheek as they laughed. What was wrong with calling her brother 'nii-chan'? _

_"She's so pitiful; she can't even dust the chalkboard because she's __**allergic**__ to the dust. She can't take out the trash because she can't carry the load. Because she can't, Ryo ends up doing it for her. If I had a big brother like that..."_

_More laughter, this time somewhat suggestive. _

_"You know I heard she's the reason he doesn't date."_

_Sora froze; was she dependent on him to such an extent? _

_(End Flashback)_

Sora wiped away her tears, trying to gather up her composure. She wouldn't cling to Ryo anymore. If he lost out on happiness because of her... She shook away the thought. She looked up and saw that her admirer was standing under the tree outside of the garden. She put on a somber expression, readying herself to deliver the rejection. Her latest suitor was Abarai Daisuke, an imposing brute of a boy. With his hair slicked back, and a scar running down the length of his cheek, he looked the part of a gang member- he wasn't even from her school.

"Abarai-kun..."

He looked up at her, a funny expression on his face.

"I think you know why I'm here, Sora-chan."

She nodded and then bowed in repentance.

"Gomen, I can't go out with you."

He snickered, an unusual response.

"I thought you would say that."

Suddenly she was being picked up by him; she screamed as loud as she could when he threw her over his shoulder.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

Sora pounded on his back, knowing full well that her less than impressive strength wasn't doing much.

"Hey help me with her!"

Another guy grabbed her and they were carrying her by her under arms, laughing at her attempts to kick them.

"Let my sister go!"

Sora stared at Ryo through tear filled eyes; guilt coursing through her veins. Here she was, troubling her brother again. She was weak...

"Nu-uh _nii-chan_; we've had enough of that tease you call a sister."

She didn't care what they meant by that, but watched as a surge of guys began to beat him up. Ryo tried to fight but he was no match for the sudden onslaught.

"Yame-"

A sweaty palm covered her mouth and Sora squirmed helplessly when she felt hot breath on her ear.

"Don't waste your breath- you'll be needing it later."

Sora shook her head, not liking the suggestive laugh that came after the statement. Then everything changed.

A figure with black hair was going at the thugs beating up his brother, executing perfect kicks and throwing crippling punches. Soon only the two holding her were left standing. She watched as Ryo struggled to get up off the floor; he was covered with bruises and his wrist looked swollen. More tears came to her eyes; it was all her fault. He began moving towards her, but the guy put a hand on his shoulder. Ryo stopped and turned and the guy whispered something that he ignored.

Suddenly the guy ran towards the pair holding her, and sweep-kicked the one on the right and delivered a knockout punch to the one on the left. Before Sora understood what was happening, he was cradled in the guy's arms.

"Daijobu?"

She looked up at him, tears still running down her cheeks. She nodded. Then Sora really looked at him. He was tall, a bit taller than Ryo with the darkest hair she had ever seen. It was long, about halfway to his shoulders with bangs that covered part of his face; he was quite handsome... Sora mentally shook herself as he set her down; she shouldn't be having such thoughts.

"Arigatou."

She bowed in respect, which effectively hid the blush on her cheeks.

"It was no problem; anyone would have done the same."

Sora looked up, and blushed again when she noticed how close he was.

"I'm Hanazawa Sora- nice to meet you."

"I'm Kobayashi Masao, nice to meet yo-"

A hand grasped her arm.

"And I'm her older brother!"

Ryo was in the middle of the two, looking thoroughly irritated. Sora could feel tears forming in her eyes again, just by looking at him. He had some scratches on his face, and a large bruise on his neck.

"Nii-chan."

She threw herself, embracing him tightly.

"I'm so glad you're okay... Nii-chan..."

Her tears flowed freely now, not ones of terror or helplessness, but relief.

"Let's go home; screw club activities. Minami will handle it."

He grabbed her hand, holding it like he used to when they were younger. The warmth of it comforted her. Sora turned to Kobayashi, bowing once more.

"Arigatou, Kobayashi-kun."

He smiled gently at her, making a light blush creep up again.

"Anytime."

He turned to walk away but Sora had a feeling that she'd be seeing him again- and soon.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Okay so it may not seem important, but this chappie sets the stage for some drama that'll be coming soon. Review? **


	46. Call It Unexpected Betrayal

**Yo minna! Okay so back to back updates ftw! Thanks to b . aka-chan and Saranghae-Minnie for their awesome reviews! (Your reviews along with the hits on the chapter are the only reason Gertrude is cooperating.) So this chapter is back to normal, with flashbacks in **_**italics**_** and present situations in **normal** text.**

**A Reader's Note: the first half of the chapter is set about a week after the 'incident' from the last chapter. Also there is a reference to 'Akiba' which means the Akihabara Shopping district- if you don't know what it is, it's the center of anime, technology and otaku goods near Tokyo. With that said, enjoy~**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_**(Flashback)**_

_Ryo grumbled under his breath, clenching the piece of bread he'd bought for lunch in his hand. For the third time in a week he'd seen that Masao kid hanging around his and Sora's classroom. It didn't take a genius to figure out who he was looking for. Ryo glared at the boy, who was on the lookout for Sora. Fortunately, she had gone to the bathroom right before Masao had appeared. _

_"Minami, I'll be right back."_

_Minami shot him a glance, curiosity glimmering in his eyes as he half listened to the girl next to him._

_"No Minami you can't come."_

_If Ryo hadn't spent so much time with the playboy he wouldn't have noticed the almost imperceptible pout. Ryo walked towards Masao, a frown fixed on his face. _

_"Oy, Kobayashi."_

_Masao looked at him._

_"Yea?"_

_"Stay away from my sister."_

_The boy just looked at him like he was crazy._

_"What?"_

_Ryo stood his ground. His sister and him were going through a rough spot as it was- he certainly didn't need a persistent admirer added to the equation. _

_"You heard me; stay away from my sister. Neither of us are allowed to date so you're just wasting your time."_

_Masao stared at him, like someone who had just been slapped but was too full of pride to let you see that it hurt. He crossed his arms and looked away from Ryo._

_"I know that I can't go out with her, for different reasons beyond her restrictions. My parents are being transferred to New York- I leave today and wanted to tell her goodbye."_

_Ryo felt his fists unclench. When he looked at the guy, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of pity mingle with his frustration. He knew it was wrong to interfere like this... But the way Sora looked at Masao...reminded him of the way she used to look at him; when only being around her 'nii-chan'._

_"I'll tell her for you."_

_It was wrong...so very wrong..._

_"But I want to te-"_

_"Could you stand to see her cry again? If I tell her.. She won't cry."_

_Ryo knew it was bullshit, but he couldn't help himself. He wouldn't let anyone take Sora from him.. Not yet. He didn't even look up to see that Masao was leaving; he just kept on staring at the floor, knowing that Masao would leave. _

_**(The Next Day)**_

_Sora walked down the hallway, somewhat nervous. It was already lunch break, and she had finally convinced herself that she would confess to Kobayashi-kun. She had considered writing a note, but then trashed the idea. A love letter, was impersonal at best. Besides that, she had seen enough love letters to last her a life time and had no desire to write one. No, she'd go get him from his class room and put it all out there. Bluntness wasn't her forte but sometimes you just had to go with it. _

_Sora smiled when she thought of Kobayashi-kun; his eyes always so kind and full of compassion, his smile... Those perfect lips.. She looked down, crimson overtaking her cheeks- not surprisingly, she got even more nervous. She approached his classroom, and then opened the door slowly. People turned in her direction and some smiled at her. Her friend, Nami, got up from her seat and came towards her, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Nami was the only person she had told about her feelings for Kobayashi, and the wavering smile gave her a sense of foreboding. Something was wrong- very wrong. _

_"Hey Sora,"_

_Despite her friend's odd behavior, Sora strove to keep her cool. _

_"Hello Nami; w-where's Kobayashi-kun? I want to talk to him for a bit."_

_Nami's expression turned from carefully blank to one of disbelief. She reached out and put a hand on Sora's shoulder._

_"You mean... He didn't tell you?"_

_She felt a pit of unease grow in her stomach._

_"Tell me what?"_

_Nami's head lowered and when she spoke, it was barely above a whisper._

_"Kobayashi-kun left to America yesterday; his parents got transferred to New York and-"_

_She didn't stay to hear the rest- she couldn't. Sora bolted away from the classroom, her heart aching in a way that it had never had before. Her mind automatically went to her week's worth of memories of Kobayashi-kun. She turned a corner and thrust open the doors leading to the soccer field. She had spent every day since the day he saved her with him. They had eaten lunch together, they had talked during break... Spent time after school.. _

_Sora tripped over something and fell to the ground, the world blurred by her tears. She had never felt so strongly about anyone before- well except for Ryo. But it was different with Ryo, he was her brother- her twin. With Kobayashi-kun, her heart raced when she looked into his eyes and she felt elated by just his mere presence. She had thought he felt the same way... _

_"Sora."_

_She looked up and saw the familiar figure that was Ryo. He ran towards her and dropped to his knees, embracing her for all it was worth. She lowered her head so that it was resting in the crook of his neck._

_"Nii-chan.."_

_He just held her, stroking her hair and whispering calming words. Sora let herself calm down a bit as she made a vow: never again would she distance herself away from Ryo- because in the end, the only one she could trust was her nii-chan._

_**(End Flashback)**_

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"Nii-chan, can we go to Akiba after school? It's Nami's birthday next week and she's been dying for the new issue of Ouran."

Sora gazed levelly at Ryo; a mischievous smirk grew on his face.

"And?"

Sora continued to stare at him, but relented.

"And I want the figurine of Ryuzaki."

Ryo chuckled and nodded.

"Sure, just remind me to go to dad's class and ask him for money."  
That was odd.

"Why not ask mom? She's our first class, so wouldn't it be more convenient than walking over to the third year hall?"

Ryo's smile fell a little bit.

"Because I'm grounded for that little stripping stunt over at Manda's café."

Sora giggled.

"I had forgotten about that."

**(In class)**

Sora sat back in her seat, anticipating the shopping trip after school. It wasn't often that she went to Akiba, but when she did, it was always enjoyable; she was happy that Ryo had agreed to go with her. Ryo wasn't into anime as much as she was, but still went along with her.

She didn't use to be into anime, but after the 'incident' last year, she had become more reserved and didn't go out as much. She looked for things to do and just ended up falling in love with anime. Sora's mood fell a little; she tried to avoid thinking about 'the incident' because whenever she did it always involved a certain dark haired boy. Just as she was recomposing herself, her mom walked in, holding a roster.

"Quiet everyone- today we have a new student with us."

Her mom gave the class a look, and the last few people whispering quieted down.

"Come in Kobayashi-kun."

Sora's heart gave a little 'thump' when she heard the name. It had to be a coincidence; she was probably just jumping to conclusions. Kobayshi wasn't such an unusual last name.

A tall boy walked into the classroom, his dark hair reaching halfway to his shoulders. He looked taller than Ryo, and had a lithe form. He turned to face the class, and Sora felt the as though her heart was going to stop.

"I'm Kobayashi Misao; nice to meet you all."

"Kobayashi-kun."

What was he doing here? Sora looked around the room frantically and realized the only empty desk was next to her; she knew what her mom was going to say before she said it.

"Kobayashi-kun, please take a seat next to Sora; it's the third seat from the window."

Kobayashi turned his gaze to the seat next to her and then locked on to her.

"Sora.."

He grabbed his bag and made his way to his seat, never tearing his gaze from hers.

"Kobayashi-kun."

He was just about to sit down when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw that Ryo had an apprehensive look on his face. It was only then that she remembered what Kobayashi-kun had done to her. He had left, without so much as a goodbye; he had trampled all over her feelings... Sora nodded to Ryo, and then put her bag on his desk.

"Switch with me please.. Nii-chan."

Ryo nodded and switched with her. Sora sat down in his desk, ignoring the gaze she felt directed towards her. She leaned her head on the windowpane, letting a few tears fall. She had made herself a promise that day- never again would she trust anyone except her nii-chan.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Dun-dun-dun! Drama... Oh how I love it. What will come next? Review?**


	47. Call It A Fight II

**Yo minna! Third update in a row! Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie for her review! (And yes Gertrude and I are currently in summer -takes sundae-) Enjoy~**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate) **

Ryo tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the bell to ring. He needed to get Sora out of here before that guy had a chance to talk to her; if the guy revealed what he did.. Ryo shook his head. He just had to get Sora out of here. It was good that she wanted to switch seats with him.

"Eh? Ryo when did you switch seats with Sora?"

His mom was looking at the pair, a disapproving expression on her face. Since she was their mom she made it a point not to give them any special treatment, lest she be called out on it.

"Switch back; I don't like you by Minami."

Ryo growled under his breath. He hadn't even spoken to Minami the entire period even though he sat right in front of him.

"But-"

"No buts! I am your teacher right now, not your mother. Now move."

His mom's expression didn't change out of the stern expression; he knew she wouldn't have been so uptight if it weren't for the fact that he was already in trouble. Reluctantly he picked up his things and set it back onto his original desk; Sora did the same.

"Now class.."

Ryo zoned out, worried out of his mind about the events that were sure to transpire.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Sora fidgeted in her seat, keeping her gaze focused solely on the slim figure of her mom. Her eyes teamed with tears - she wanted so badly to run to her mom and bawl her eyes out.

She looked down at her open notebook- there was nothing written on the page. Maybe she'd ask her mom for a copy of her notes- if she explained the situation... Her mom had gone through a lot when she was younger, and it had made her a very compassionate person. Sora smiled a bit; she couldn't ask for a better mom- or dad for the matter.

'Flop'

A piece of paper that was folded, landed on her open notebook. Sora looked at it warily and then with shaking hands picked it up. Slowly she unfolded it ,hands shaking all the while.

'Hanazawa-san... Why won't you look at me?'

Sora reached for her pencil, and steadied her hand. She had to be firm and hold her ground; she had reason for not wanting to see him.

'You left- without so much as a goodbye... I might've thought wrong... But I thought we had something more than just a regular friendship..'

She refolded it and when her mom was facing the board slipped it onto Kobayashi-kun's desk. Sora turned to Ryo, who was pale as a ghost. He was such a good brother- always looking out for her, always protecting her. She smiled reassuringly, trying to calm his nerves. His lips pressed into an even thinner line.

'Flop'

Sora turned away from Ryo and picked up the piece of paper, hands shaking less; she unfolded it.

'I wanted to tell you in person- but could never do it. The day before I left I was going to tell you but your brother stopped me because he said you would take it better from him. And you weren't wrong in thinking that we had- have- something special. I've liked you for a long time Hanazawa-san and when I saw those guys trying to take you.. I couldn't just watch.'

The bell rang and Sora sat staring at the piece of paper. Ryo knew that Kobayashi-kun was leaving? He didn't tell her? He _stopped_ Kobayashi-kun from telling her? All those tears when her heart broke... All this time she'd thought that she'd been left behind.

"Sora.. Let's go."

Sora looked up at Ryo, betrayal coloring her expression. Slowly she stood up and then instead of going to his side she took a step back.

"You lied to me Ryo."

His expression turned sad when she didn't call him 'nii-chan' ;he took pride in being her 'nii-chan'.

"I didn't-"

"You didn't tell me! More importantly you stopped Kobayashi-kun from telling me! You know how much I cried when I found out he left! Why didn't you tell me?"

Sora was shaking- not out of fear but anger. She didn't want to hear what Ryo had to say.

"I didn't want to lose you Sora... I didn't want to lose my little sister. Is that such a crime?"

Sora felt a hot tear roll down her cheek.

"You should've told me."

With that she walked towards the door, but stopped when he felt a familiar hand on her arm. She turned around and saw Ryo, eyes pleading.

"Sora.. Don't leave angry; let's talk this out. And then later we can go to Akiba as planned."

Sora ripped her arm out of his grip, disgust roiling in her stomach. Because of his selfishness, she had distanced herself from everyone and everything that wasn't family. She had lost time because she'd been so hurt- and now, he had the audacity to try to act like everything could go back to normal.

"I trusted you Ryo; I trusted what you said because you were my 'nii-chan' the one person who I thought I could trust. For a while you were the only one I trusted. Now if you'll excuse me."

She walked out into the hall when she turned back to face him again.

"And you can go to Akiba by yourself- I don't want to go with you."

With that, she stalked off into the crowded hallway.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Tsukushi watched, transfixed in horror by what she just saw. Sora had practically yelled at Ryo- something completely out of character for her. It was odd for her to raise her voice- let alone at Ryo. Tsukushi dropped the books she'd been carrying onto her desk and rushed pass Ryo and out into the hallway. She had to find out what was wrong; she had never seen the twin's fight- not even as young children. She moved quickly through the hallway, trying to catch sight of Sora. She was about to turn a corner when she felt someone grab her sleeve. Tsukushi turned to see Rui; he quickly picked up on her anxiety.

"What's wrong?"

"Sora and Ryo fought just now."

Rui stared at her, a look of disbelief on his face.

"They never fight."

Tsukushi bit her lip, anxious.

"I know... And what's more, Sora yelled at him."

"Were you looking for her?"

Tsukushi nodded.

"I'll go talk to Ryo, you keep looking for Sora."

"Okay."

Rui pulled her into a tight hug.

"It'll be okay. All kids fight."

"Not our kids though."

Rui just hugged her tighter. Then he let go and moved quickly towards her classroom.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

"This is all your fault."

Ryo glared at Masao, anger giving his sight a red tinge. If this guy hadn't interfered in the first place.. He would've left without Sora even knowing his name.

"Stop blaming others for what you brought upon yourself. You should've told her."

The guy's accusing tone broke the last bit of restraint that Ryo had; he launched a punch at Masao. He grinned ferally when it made contact with the soft skin of the boy's cheek. Ryo threw another punch, but it missed; instead he was on the receiving end of a well placed kick to the chest. Ryo flew backwards, crashing into a row of desks. He got up, ignoring the pain and flew at Masao again. He threw a punch, which Masao dodged again. This time Masao didn't fight back.

"A blow for a blow- you landed one, I landed one."

For some reason his superior tone seemed to piss him off even more. He was about to charge at Masao again when a strong hand grabbed the back of his shirt. Ryo turned around, automatically throwing a punch at whoever was holding him back; the punch landed and a slim figure flew through the air, landing in a pile of desks. His eyes widened in horror when he saw who it was.

"SORA!"

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Sora was curled up inside a stall of the girl's bathroom when she heard them.

"There's a fight!"

"Between who?"

"Hanazawa-kun and some new kid."

Sora flew to her feet. Ryo and Kobayashi-kun? Fighting? She threw open the door to the stall and ran towards the classroom. They couldn't be fighting- no, no, no. She ran down the hall and found a huge group of people surrounding the doors. Sora fought her way to the front. What she saw made her rush forward.

"...landed one, I landed one."

Ryo charged forward, and instinctively she grabbed onto his shirt, trying to pull him back. Then in a split second, the world exploded in a sea of pain. Ryo's punch had hit her square in the stomach; and then she was flying. She fell, crashing down into a group of desks; it hurt like hell. Then the world went dark.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**O.o... Review?**


	48. Call It Uncertainty and Turmoil

**Gomen minna- I know I haven't updated in about a month, but things have been really hectic what with school and tennis practice. Thanks go out to b. aka-chan, Saranghae-Minnie, LollipopRockaholic and moani-sama for their wonderful reviews. Without further ado, the next installment of Call It Fate!**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Sora was at peace; there was nothing around her save for utter darkness. There was none of the distractions that reality presented; here, when she was alone, things were simpler. It was easy to see where she had made mistakes- the biggest one had been thinking her brother was above lying to her. Betrayal attempted to wash over her, but the darkness held it off. As long as she stayed here, nothing could hurt her- not even her own emotions.

"_Sora… Baby, please wake up… For Mom and Dad…"_

Sora looked up into what she thought was the sky. Up above her was a faint light, and through it she could hear the faint whisperings of reality. Sora curled in on herself. She didn't want to hear it. She was fine here! She wasn't hurting- wasn't that enough?

"_Sora…" _

Sora heard sobbing, and from the slight gruffness she assumed it was her dad- it could've been Ryo though…He always sounded so much like their father….

She flinched at the thought of Ryo- the darkness didn't cover her quickly enough to prevent the immense wave of pure sorrow from taking her. Ryo… her true non-romantic other half; her brother. Her supposed 'ally'! A tear fell down her cheek, falling down into the darkness and disappearing into eternity. The tears kept coming; she couldn't believe that Ryo had hit her. No matter how low he had sunken to keep her by his side, Sora would never have thought that his fist could ever make contact with her.

The darkness turned a dark shade of blue, not quite losing it's opacity but losing some of the pitch tint that it had, but turning lighter nonetheless. Sora couldn't bring herself to wonder what that meant.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui watched his daughter's unmoving form; it had been six hours since she had been conscious. After the first hour she had been pronounced to be in a coma. Rui buried his face in his hands, tears spilling down his cheeks- he couldn't remember ever crying this much.

He had cried quite a bit on the various occasions that Tsukushi had been kidnapped, but somehow this time it was different. Sora was literally a part of _him; _he helped bring her into this world and now to watch her, lying still on the bed… unmoving…. It pierced him like a thousand knives. Rui looked up, feeling Tsukushi shift next to him. They had brought a bed to Sora's hospital room, not willing to leave her side for even a moment. To both his and Tsukushi's amazement, Ryo had elected to go home and sleep there.

Ryo had been more or less catatonic since Sora had become unconscious; the only sign of life he had shown was when he yelled at the doctor for asking him if he wanted a sedative that would 'calm him down'. After the doctor had left, metaphoric tail between his legs, Ryo had sat down in the farthest corner from the bed, and stared at his sister for hours on end. His face was expressionless, betraying nothing of what was going through his mind. Rui had had little to say to his son though. What could he say anyway?

Tsukushi hadn't blamed him though. On one of the short breaks they took to go eat, she commented on Ryo's surprising detachment from the entire situation. Rui had explained to her in turn that he didn't know what to do. Should he yell at Ryo and possibly make the situation worse? Or should he just let him slide by, and focus on Sora waking up? Neither of them knew what the twin's were fighting about, but it had to have been something big- really big.

Rui turned so that he was facing his wife's sleeping form and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close enough so that all he could feel was her heartbeat against his.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Ryo stared out the window, forehead pressed against the cold glass pane. Despite what everyone thought, he wasn't numb- he was in fact the exact opposite. His senses were open to the point where anything but the highest pitch of noise hurt his ears. It wasn't the product of any mental trauma though- it was the product of his immense conversation.

_Sora… _

_Nii-chan, I don't think I want to leave this place- it's so calm… so quiet… almost as though the entire world is on mute. It's so peaceful…_

Ryo shook his head, trying to clear out the wave of worry that threatened to overtake his concentration. He and Sora had been able to communicate with each other silently for years- it had always been very tenuous, but they had discovered (through much trial and error) that they could hold a connection if they concentrated enough. This time though, with Sora in a coma, it was that much more difficult. When he tried to reach for her, it was like he was swimming against a current and lost ground every time that he lost his concentration. He had almost lost the connection completely when the doctor at the hospital asked him if he wanted to go to sleep.

_No, Sora... You can't stay there. If you stay there, then you might not ever see light again!_

Sora had told him about the darkness around her- he wasn't a scientist or anything, but it was probably the product of the fact that she was in a coma. If she gave into the darkness… Ryo gulped; in any case, he couldn't live without his sister. The world would be a darker place without her insights, and without her smile- the smile that never failed to clone itself onto another person's face. When Sora laughed, nobody could resist laughing along; when Sora spoke, everyone listened. Sora was a bigger part of everyone's lives than she realized.

_Nii-chan... The color is changing again... This time it's light blue- what do you think that means?_

_I don't know... Maybe you're waking up? _

There was silent and then a shrill scream so piercing that Ryo felt his ears throb from the force of it.

_NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! IDON'T WANT TO GO BACK- I KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING; EVERY MOMENT I SPEND TALKING TO YOU, YOU'RE BRINGING ME BACK A LITTLE BIT. GO AWAY!_

Ryo didn't even have a chance to try to calm her down, the connection closed completely, leaving him in silence; even then all he could hear was his sister's shrill scream of horror.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Rui stared out the window of Sora's hospital room, picking up his violin case. The doctor had told him earlier that if he repeated some of the things that he done when Sora was a baby, she might wake up sooner…

He unclasped the two silver buckles and opened up the leather case, marveling at the instrument that lay inside. His grandfather had given it to him for his eighth birthday- after they had gorged themselves on cake, he had gotten his first lesson. Rui put the instrument under his chin, relishing in the cool feel of the pad. He lifted the bow, running it across the strings; he started to play- something soft and low. He closed his eyes letting his mind drift with the music.

"Rui…"

Rui opened his eyes slowly, taking in Tsukushi's slim form against the moonlight. He smiled somewhat wryly when he remembered the first time that he played for Tsukushi- it had been under extremely different circumstances, but the scene wasn't that unfamiliar. The years had done little to change Tsukushi, sure she had a few more gray hairs than she had when she was a twenty year old, but both of them attributed that to the fact that she dealt with teenagers on a daily basis.

Rui finished the song, letting both his hands drop; he wrapped his arms around Tsukushi, feeling immediate comfort. He wasn't alone and neither was she. Though the circumstances were harsh, at least they had each other.

"It'll be okay… Rui… I know it will be….Sora will wake up and we can get things back to normal..."

Rui was speechless so he just hugged his wife closer to him.

"Mnnn…M-o-om…D-a-a-d…"

Rui's eyes widened and both he and Tsukushi turned simultaneously to stare at their daughter. Sora looked at them, eyes wide and filled to the brim with tears. She reached out for them like she had when she was younger; they both rushed towards her, tears of their own streaking down their faces.

"Sora… we're so glad that you woke up…"

"We were so worried…"

Their murmurings became one and the same, and Rui pulled both his girls into the tightest hug he could muster. If Sora hadn't woken up… Rui let the tears roll down his cheeks, and just relished in the fact that she had.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Ryo stood outside the door of his sister's room, heart thudding wildly; he knew she didn't want to see him. Even though she was awake, she wouldn't answer any of his thoughts- all he got was a sort of angry silence. She had every right to be angry at him- he had interfered with something that was none of his business… He was the reason that she distrusted more people than she did trust. He was the reason that so many boys had gotten turned away. He was the reason that she had never gone on a date or been out with Minami alone. He had been so selfish- he had always wanted Sora by his side. The thought of someone taking Sora away from him in any way repulsed him. He had never even stopped to consider what she wanted- or how she felt about the growing intimacy between him and Midori.

Ryo shook his head as if to clear it- Midori was a separate thing. She was not involved with what he had to tell Sora. Ryo sighed. It had been two days since she'd woken up- she'd gone to school with Minami, and passed him up every time they were around each other without so much as a glance in his direction. He had crossed the line too many times and now he was paying the price.

Still Ryo lifted his hand and knocked on the nondescript white door that led into Sora's haven of blues and greens. The door opened a bit, creaking softly… Ryo's eyebrow arched a bit. Sora hadn't closed her door? Even when she wasn't ignoring him that wasn't normal.

"Sora?"  
Ryo pushed the door open a bit more, and felt his jaw drop at the scene that assaulted him. Sora was kissing someone- and that someone was Minami.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Dun, dun dun dun! Dramatic turn of events- what shall happen next? Review?**


	49. Call It Revelations

**Gomen minna! I know, I've been gone almost completely from FF for a month- I blame several things… School, Tennis… my discovery of Glee… T.T **

**Thanks go out to Saranghae-Minnie and b . aka- chan for their reviews! Seriously reading reviews gets me so jazzed up :D **

**PS: I have drawn another piece of fan art for this fic- the link follows : **

**http : / / emoeccentrica . deviantart . com / gallery / **

**(It's the first pic in the gallery :D )**

**A note before you go on to reading the chappie, this chapter is mostly the happenings that led up to last chapter- ere go the massive amount of italics. On with the story!**

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_Sora turned a corner, her inside shoes making a squeaking noise on the tile. She frowned, looking over her shoulder. Ryo stood at the other end of the hall, slightly out of breath. She had been avoiding him for the better part of the week and now, he was trying to make amends with her. Sora bit her lip, a sliver of guilt trying to make it's way into her heart- trying to make her feel sorry for the way she was treating her brother. She steeled herself and pushed the guilt away; she didn't want to feel bad for the traitor. He was the only person she had trusted implicitly and had abused that trust- he deserved what he was getting, and then some. _

_Sora looked straight ahead and kept walking down the hall, reaching for her cell phone. It had been buzzing for the better part of three minutes but she didn't want to take it out in front of Ryo. Her brother would probably try to swipe it away and use it to convince her that she was being ridiculous. Sora turned another corner, already climbing the steps that lead to the roof. It was the only place that Ryo wouldn't follow her- she didn't know why or really care. _

_She opened the door, feeling the breeze ruffle her skirt a bit. She moved along the top of the building, reveling in the feeling of the wind against her skin. She looked at her phone, a smile spreading across her lips at the text she got. _

'_I'll pick you up at seven. Do I go round front or are you sneaking out again? –Masao'_

_Sora bit her lip, guilt making her heart thud a bit faster. She hated sneaking out, but her parents wouldn't exactly approve of her relationship with Masao- especially when they didn't know the reason he and Ryo got in a fight in the first place. She flipped open her phone and typed her response._

'_I'll sneak out- pick me up at the usual spot. –Sora'_

_She hit 'Send' and sank down against the wall, putting her phone next to her. She hadn't seen Masao since the fight due to his suspension. She pouted- it was unfair that Masao got blamed for the entire thing when Ryo was the one who started the fight in the first place. Unfortunately since Ryo was well liked (even after punching his sister) and Masao was 'the new kid', any witnesses that could actually vouch that Ryo had started the fight, wouldn't. _

_**Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!**_

_Sora was just about to pick up her phone when the door to the roof opened, revealing Minami who looked extremely uncomfortable. Sora frowned; she could tell by his expression that he was here on Ryo's errand. She stood up, straightening her skirt. Then arms crossed, she finally looked straight at Minami._

"_What do you want?"_

_Minami fidgeted a bit, probably wishing he was with his latest conquest- anywhere but facing her. _

"_Sora...why don't you just make up with Ryo? It's gone on for a week now! Put an end to it; be the bigger person!"_

_Sora chuckled derisively._

"_Why should I forgive him?"_

_Minami swayed back and forth a bit, looking more than uncomfortable. _

"_He's your brother."_

_Sora felt like scoffing, but stopped herself. She wasn't going to get anywhere by bullying Minami- especially since he was just talking to her on behalf of her brother. _

"_Whatever."_

_Sora stuck her hands in her pockets and pushed passed him. She didn't need her brother- or Minami trying to convince her to talk to him. _

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_Minami groaned, putting a hand to his forehead. He should've known better than to get in the middle of Ryo and Sora's fight. After all, he thought as he slid down to take the spot where Sora had been sitting, he did like Sora- a lot. It was very counterproductive to make it look like he was siding with Ryo. He bit his lip- he was siding with Ryo… enough to come and attempt to convince Sora to talk to her brother again…. _

_**Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!**_

_Minami pulled out his phone, puzzled when he found no message waiting for him. What had buzzed…? He looked around when he felt something nudge him. He looked down, and saw Sora's cell phone- a newer version of Ryo's own. He picked up the sleek black device, and stared at the icon that indicated she had a new text. He was about to turn the screen off when he saw in a smaller text, the name 'Masao'. His eyes narrowed into slits. While Sora had pulled away from Ryo she had gotten closer to the new kid, Masao. Curious, he pressed the icon._

'_Okay, I'll wait at the usual spot- has your family noticed you've been sneaking out?'_

_Minami nearly dropped the phone. Sora? Sneak out? Even he knew how dangerous that was! She had just gotten out of the hospital a week ago- what if someone kidnapped her for real? Was she trying to kill her parents by worrying them to death? _

_Minami shut the screen off, half a mind to go to Ryo. He clenched the phone tighter at the thought of what Ryo would do with the new information. Another fight between the twins would be inevitable and once Sora found out he was the cause of it… He shook his head to clear it. What could he do besides tell Ryo? Minami let out a frustrated sigh as the bell chimed, signaling the end of the day. He would have to talk to Sora on her own turf, and pray that Ryo didn't walk in while they were talking. _

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_Rui was entering grades into his laptop, symphonies blasting in his ears through his headphones. Next to him was a large stack of papers, the result of a report he had assigned his kids. So far, not many people had failed it, but the ones that had were his usual offenders. He turned over a paper, when he felt someone tap his shoulder. Ryo shrugged off one earphone as he turned around to look at the person who was bugging him. He frowned when he saw the new teacher aid looking at him with a simpering expression. What was her name…? He shrugged it off and was going to put on the headphone when he noticed her hand was on his stack of papers._

"_Move your hand, or I'll move it."_

_She leaned in, a wicked smile on her face._

"_Feisty- I like it."_

_He scoffed, pushing her hand off of the papers. He didn't need this woman stirring up any more trouble- he had enough on his plate what with the twin's not speaking to each other; more specifically, Sora's unwillingness to be so much in the same room as Ryo. _

"_Go away- I'm busy."_

"_But Rui-"_

_He stiffened when she put a hand on his shoulder; what was this woman doing getting so overly familiar with him? Rui stood up, hearing the soft 'oomph' when the chair hit the dumb blonde behind him. He took off the headphones and turned to face her, his expression stony and blank. He didn't want this attention. He loved Tsukushi and had told this woman blatantly so. He turned around and glared at the assistant teacher._

"_Stop being so overly familiar with me; I have a wife- like I told you before. I have two kids and I'm not willing to trade it all for a fling with some blonde bimbo."_

_Rui made to move past her, when she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. _

"_Please… I understand… We can't be together publicly- I'm not asking you to marry me or even be my boyfriend… I just want one taste of what I'm missing."_

_Rui turned to give a response, but was cut off by soft lips. He pushed against her, sending her flying to the wall. Rui wiped his lips off with the back of his hand and swept out of the room, missing the wide smile that was plastered on the blonde girl's face._

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_Yui took her phone out, and dialed the only number on the phone. She stood up, brushing herself off as the phone rang. It rang for a few seconds before her employer's smooth voice came on._

"_Speak."_

_Yui smiled and pressed the phone closer to her ear._

"_Part one has been successful; I got the picture we needed."_

_Yui looked at the camera she had placed over the security camera on the wall opposite her. She had been recording the entire scene, and later would edit out all of the confrontation, making it seem like a meeting between two intimate lovers. _

"_Very good; I want it delivered to the Hanazawa Household by next week. When Tsukushi sees it, she'll leave him and head over to Manda's. Once that happens, you are free to pursue Rui as much as you like. I will be in Tokyo on Monday of next week- meet me at the Blue Light at six and I will give you your payment in person."_

"_Hai, Mizuki-sama."_

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

_Sora was staring up at the ceiling when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. _

"_Who is it?"_

_She expected the low baritone of her brother's voice and was already reaching for her iPod when an unexpected, and very unwelcomed, answer came._

"_It's me, Minami; I need to talk to you before your brother gets home."_

_Sora sighed, unsure of what to do. She was pretty sure that Minami had her phone, considering that she couldn't find it after she had left the rooftop. But she didn't want to endure a lecture on why she should talk to her dear brother. _

"_Come in." _

_She sat up, smoothing out her skirt a bit, and then scooted to the edge of the bed. Minami walked in, his bag hanging off one shoulder and her phone in his hand. Sora stood up, crossing her arms across her chest.  
"So you did have it."_

_She stuck her hand out, but Minami didn't drop it in her hand, instead he sat down on her bed. _

"_A text came in while I had it. I don't think that your parents would be very happy if they found out that you've been sneaking out every night since the day after you got out of the hospital. "_

_Sora stepped back, eyes wide. She had never actually put any thought into deleting the messages. No one ever touched her phone! She glared Minami, her eyes narrowing. _

"_What will it take to keep you quiet?"_

_Minami stared at her, an incredulous expression on his face. _

"_I'm not blackmailing you- I'm just giving you a heads up."_

_Sora frowned in disappointment. What could she do to keep the idiot quiet? If her dad found out that she had been sneaking out with the boy that he had labeled as a delinquent (though he had never said it), she'd be grounded for the rest of her life. Then an idea struck her. Minami had always liked her; it had been obvious since the middle of their second year in middle school. _

_Sora moved over to the bed, and without giving Minami a chance to protest, pressed her lips to his. _

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

Minami felt himself being pushed away; he opened his eyes and found himself staring at Ryo, who was obviously pissed off.

"What the hell Minami!"

Minami got up from the bed, and reached for Sora's phone, ready to plea his case with Ryo. He knew he could be a lecher, but that wasn't the case this time; the last thing he needed was for Ryo to hate him. They'd been friends practically since birth… His eyes widened when he saw Sora with the phone in her hand, and a cruel smile on her face. Minami took a step back- what had happened to Sora? That smile… wasn't her… He frowned- she didn't kiss him because she had feelings for him, it was to shut him up, after all, she was meeting up with some guy at night wasn't she? Minami looked at Ryo, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to punch him. Sora had dropped the cruel smile, and instead looked repentant, as though she actually regretted what she had done- the smug gleam in her eyes told him otherwise. Minami did the only thing he could do- he left the room, his chest tightening painfully. The only girl whom he_ truly_ ever loved had been jaded and then rejected him in the worst way.

**(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)(Call It Fate)**

**Le gasp~ Review?**


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